<p id=”par-1_63″>Cassie Ventura’s emotional testimony, which included a video of her being <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/sean-diddy-combs-lawyer-explained-attacked-cassie-hotel-footage.html/”>beaten by her then-boyfriend,</a> <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/sean-diddy-combs/”>Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs</a>, has ended. The pregnant Ventura’s cross-examination wrapped up on May 16, but the jury wasn’t sent home for the day. Instead, Dawn Richard, a recording artist discovered by Diddy, took the stand. Her testimony thus far has backed up Ventura’s claims of severe physical abuse.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-dawn-richard-takes-the-stand-in-diddy-s-sex-trafficking-and-racketeering-trial”>Dawn Richard takes the stand in Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial</h2>
<p id=”par-2_75″>Dawn Richard took the stand on May 16, 2025, following Cassie Ventura’s emotional testimony. The recording artist is expected to spend a significant amount of time on the stand. Still, her first day of testimony focused on a 2009 incident where she witnessed Diddy violently assault Ventura over a dispute about breakfast. According to <a target=”_blank” href=”https://nypost.com/2025/05/16/us-news/dawn-richard-testifies-she-saw-diddy-get-violent-with-cassie-often” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>the New York Post</a>, Richard recalled working inside a recording studio at Diddy’s home when she heard him screaming about eggs.</p>
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<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
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Cassie Ventura’s Due Date May Be Fast Approaching </a>
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<p id=”par-3_77″>Richard recalled watching Combs try to bash Ventura’s head with a skillet. She said he kicked and punched her while she was on the ground, then dragged her by the hair upstairs. Richard said that she was too frightened to intervene, but she was terrified for Ventura. She also claimed Diddy summoned her to his home the following day to threaten her. She said he suggested people who talked about what they saw were likely to disappear.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-who-is-dawn-richard”>Who is Dawn Richard?</h2>
<p id=”par-4_66″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/danity-kanes-dawn-richard-fought-sean-diddy-combs-insulted.html/”>Dawn Richard’s testimony</a> in Diddy’s trial could prove to be important for the prosecution. Richard was deeply involved with Diddy professionally for several years, and her testimony could help paint the picture of an unreasonable and often cruel man who saw him self as above the law, using his power to get whatever he wanted. Before Diddy became a disgraced music mogul, Richard worked with him.</p>
<p id=”par-5_40″>Richard is a former member of the girl group Danity Kane. She first met Diddy through MTV’s <em>Making the Band 3</em>. After her time with Danity Kane, she joined Diddy–Dirty Money, a musical trio. She left the group in 2012.</p>
<p id=”par-6_69″>Richard is one of dozens of men and women who filed a civil lawsuit against Diddy. In her lawsuit, filed in September 2024, Richard accuses her former manager of sexual assault, emotional abuse, and financial exploitation. In paperwork obtained by <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/11/dawn-richard-sues-sean-diddy-combs-sexual-assault” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Guardian</a>, Richard claims that Combs subjected her to inhumane conditions, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/diddy-deprived-danity-kane-members-food-rest-resulting-hospitalization-bombshell-lawsuit-alleges.html/”>deprived her of food and sleep,</a> and failed to compensate her adequately for her work, among other things.</p>