Dawn Richard has claimed she witnessed Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ‘punch and choke’ Cassie Ventura multiple times during their on-off relationship.
The disgraced rapper’s trial began in New York last week – he is facing charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, and has denied all allegations.
Following Ventura’s testimony, Richard, a former member of Danity Kane – the group the 55-year-old created on Making The Band – took to the stand on Friday.
Speaking to the court, multiple US outlets report that she alleged that she saw him attack his ex-girlfriend with a skillet full of eggs in 2009 when he was enraged over his breakfast.
Returning to the witness box earlier today, the 41-year-old told the jury that she ‘frequently’ witnessed him being violent towards the Me & U singer.
‘He would punch her, choke her, drag her, slap her in the mouth,’ she said. ‘I saw him kick her, punch her in the stomach.’
When discussing what prompted the outbursts, she said: ‘It could be Cass speaking up for herself. It could be random. We didn’t even know where it came from.’
Richard told the court that Combs became violent at a dinner attended by record label executives, and allegedly punched Ventura in the stomach at the restaurant.
She claimed that the former couple had been arguing quietly before the attack, and that he instructed Ventura to leave after she bent over in reaction to the blow.
The argument reportedly continued in the car outside the venue, where his ex was ‘embarrassed’ that the incident had been so public.
Richard said that he ‘grabbed her by the neck and popped her, slapped her in the mouth,’ and told her to shut up.
The singer, who became a member of Diddy-Dirty Money with Combs and Kalenna Harper after Danity Kane broke up, also claimed that he threatened her and Ventura shortly after the kitchen incident.
‘He said you could go missing, that we could die,’ she alleged. ‘I was shocked but also scared, I couldn’t believe this would be the beginning of a journey for us [with the group Dirty Money].
Richard came to fame in 2005 after auditioning for Combs’ MTV series, Making the Band 3 – she made it into the group alongside Aubrey O’Day, Wanita Woodgett, Shannon Bex and Aundrea Fimbres.
Danity Kane officially disbanded in 2009, after which the singer became a member of Diddy-Dirty Money, before eventually leaving his Bad Boy Records label in 2011.
She filed a lawsuit against Combs in 2024, alleging that he assaulted her, deprived her of food and sleep, and refused to pay her properly.
In the documents, she claimed that she witnessed the businessman abuse Ventura on multiple occasions – accusations he has fiercely denied.
Richard’s former bandmate, O’Day, was recently forced to squash speculation that she was preparing to appear in the courtroom herself – but did call out the decision to have Combs’ children present for the proceedings.
Members of the mogul’s family have been present for the trial, including his 18-year-old twin daughters Jessie James and D’Lila Star.
They were in the courtroom to hear testimony regarding his alleged abuse, as well as the ‘freak off’ sex parties and his behavior in the bedroom.
During an appearance on the Amy & TJ podcast, O’Day suggested that they should not be ‘sitting through’ the details.
‘The fact that the kids are marching up to that court…,’ she told the hosts. ‘I don’t know any father that would want their children to sit through that testimony.’
The court proceedings are expected to go on for several weeks – if convicted, Combs could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The trial continues.
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