On Friday, Might 16, Dawn Richard took the stand within the federal intercourse trafficking trial in opposition to her former collaborator Sean “Diddy” Combs. Richard’s testimony adopted 4 days of questioning of Casandra Elizabeth “Cassie” Ventura, Diddy’s former companion, who outlined detailed allegations of bodily and sexual abuse by the hip-hop musician and mogul. For a number of years, Richard labored alongside Diddy on the Making the Band actuality present and within the teams Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money. In that point, she alleges that Diddy verbally and bodily abused her—allegations outlined in a separate lawsuit filed final yr.
In her first day on the stand, Richard testified to witnessing Diddy bodily assault Cassie on a number of events. She described one 2009 incident that happened at his house—Richard says she and her Diddy – Soiled Cash bandmate Kalenna Harper have been recording there on the time—wherein he “took a skillet with eggs inside and tried to hit Ventura over the top with the pan.” Cassie reportedly deflected the blow however ended up on the ground in a “fetal place,” after which Diddy “beat her on the bottom in entrance of us,” then put his arm round her neck and dragged her upstairs. “I used to be scared that if I intervened, I’d get [it] worse,” Richard mentioned, explaining why she didn’t name the police. “I had by no means seen something like that earlier than.”
The subsequent day, Richard alleges, she and Harper have been known as into a gathering with Diddy. She recollects him locking the door and threatening the 2 singers: “The place he comes from, individuals go lacking if they are saying issues like that.” At this level in her testimony, lead protection lawyer Marc Agnifilo raised an objection and Choose Arun Subramanian dominated that courtroom could be adjourned for the day. Richard will retake the stand tomorrow, Might 19.
Following the conclusion of her testimony on Friday, each Cassie and her husband, Alex High-quality, launched statements on the trial through her lawyer Douglas Wigdor. “This week has been extraordinarily difficult, but additionally remarkably empowering and therapeutic for me. I hope that my testimony has given energy and a voice to different survivors, and might help others who’ve suffered to talk up and likewise heal from abuse and worry,” Cassie shared through Wigdor. On High-quality’s behalf, he mentioned “Cassie saved Cassie. She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence, and threats. She did the work of preventing the demons that solely a demon himself might have achieved to her.” Watch footage of the total statements under.
