Kid Cudi has shared how uncomfortable he felt at the trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs but wanted to ‘support’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
The 41-year-old rapper was subpoenaed in the federal case against the Bad Boy Records founder, 55,regarding home invasion allegedly linked to Combs.
He was convicted of transporting Ventura and another former girlfriend, only known as Jane Doe, for prostitution but was found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking.
During the trial, Kid Cudi — real name Scott Mescudi — took the stand as a key witness, having dated Ventura after her split with Combs in 2011.
‘I hated every minute of it. I did not want to do it,’ the Grammy winner revealed on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
Cudi testified that when Combs discovered his relationship with Ventura, the I’ll Be Missing You singer broke into his home in Hollywood.
It was also alleged that the music mogul had threatened to blow up his car, which was later firebombed, but there was no evidence linking Combs to the attack.
While Cudi said he felt ‘calm’ walking into the courtroom on May 22, he was ‘there because I had to be’ and revealed he initially declined requests from prosecutors to testify.
He stressed about having to wear a suit and ‘dress up’ for the occasion, eventually opting for something more casual.
‘I’m not dressing up for this.’ Cudi told host Alex Cooper. ‘Wearing some hard bottoms? I’m wearing some Salomons and I’m coming in there with my Levi’s and my leather jacket, and that’s it.’
Despite not wanting to go, the Day ‘n’ Nite rapper said he found ‘peace’ in the idea that he was doing this for Ventura.
Cudi shared: ‘Cassie is my friend. I love her, and I want to see her do well.
‘When I saw her get married, I was so happy for her that she found someone, her person. When I saw that she was having kids, I was like, “Oh this is so awesome.”
‘I’ve always just wanted to see her thrive and do well and be happy, because I know she was living a nightmare. I was there to support her.’
Ventura was visibly pregnant at the time she took the stand and gave birth to her third child with husband Alex Fine at the end of May 2025.
In addition to being a key witness in the federal RICO case, in 2023, she filed a lawsuit against Combs, who she was in a long-term relationship between 2007 and 2018.
She was awarded a $20million settlement after a video, captured in 2016, surfaced online of Combs grabbing and beating her in a hotel hallway.
Describing his life during his brief relationship with Ventura, Cudi called it ‘crazy’ and admitted he had ‘a hard time understanding if this was reality’.
The experience left the rapper feeling more withdrawn from public life, admitting he was already ‘standoffish’ but now rarely goes out in Los Angeles.
When on the stand, Cudi reflected on running into Combs at Soho House in 2015, where the dad-of-seven reportedly pulled him aside to apologise.
‘That was the last thing I was expecting to get from him,’ the Better Place rapper admitted, adding that he ‘found peace’ from the interaction.
After the trial in May, he wrote on social media and thanked fans for their support, adding: ‘This was a stressful situation. I’m glad it’s behind me.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.