NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper and actor Kid Cudi is set to testify at the ongoing sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs. Cudi is expected to take the witness stand either Wednesday or Thursday, sharing insights about his brief relationship, which occurred 14 years ago, with Cassie, Combs' ex-girlfriend and an R&B singer.
Last week, Cassie testified regarding her tumultuous relationship with Combs, revealing that he was furious when she left him in 2011 for a period during which she began dating Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi. Cassie described an incident in which Combs allegedly kicked her, leaving a significant bruise on her back, as she departed from his home in Los Angeles during their final breakup.
Prosecutors have contended that Combs's anger escalated to the point where he allegedly arranged for Cudi's convertible to be firebombed. At the conclusion of Tuesday's court session, a prosecutor announced that Cudi will become the third witness in the trial, following the testimony of a federal agent regarding evidence collected during a raid on Combs' home in Florida last year.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to accusations asserting that he utilized his fame and wealth to maintain a two-decade-long racketeering scheme that allegedly controlled Cassie and others through intimidation and violence. His legal defense argues that the evidence presented in court points to domestic violence rather than constituting a criminal enterprise or sex trafficking operation.
In her testimony, Cassie revealed that Combs had orchestrated multiple meetings between her and Cudi in 2011 to collaborate on music. As their relationship began late that year, Cassie purchased a burner phone to communicate discreetly with Cudi, avoiding Combs's scrutiny. She stated that although she and Combs had separated, they remained involved in intimate encounters involving male escorts, which Combs would observe and, at times, participate in.
During one of these encounters, Combs discovered messages indicating that Cassie was seeing Cudi. Furthermore, Cassie's mother, Regina Ventura, testified on Tuesday about receiving an email from her daughter in December 2011. In this email, Cassie expressed that Combs was extremely angry about her involvement with Cudi, even threatening to release explicit videos of her and arrange for someone to harm both Cassie and Cudi.
Regina Ventura described how, fearing for her daughter's safety, she sent Combs $20,000 after he demanded the sum, only for Combs to return it days later. Additionally, Cassie recounted that Cudi visited her at her mother's home in Connecticut during Christmas in December 2011 and stayed for three to four days before their relationship came to an end due to the overwhelming feelings of danger and uncertainty surrounding their situation.
Cassie explained that she informed her family she intended to return to Los Angeles after the holidays for work, but instead traveled to Arizona to meet Combs, leading to the revival of their relationship. During one of their trips abroad, Combs allegedly told Cassie that he intended to blow up Cudi's car and wanted Cudi’s friends to witness it.
This trial is a pivotal moment illuminating the complexities of celebrity relationships and the alleged dark side of fame, as the testimonies reveal the intertwining of personal strife with overarching allegations of criminal behavior.
