Kid Cudi testifies Diddy terrorised him after Cassie’s romance: He broke in and burned my car
Kid Cudi has sensationally told a New York courtroom that Sean “Diddy” Combs broke into his house, tormented his dog, opened his family’s Christmas presents, and later firebombed his Porsche – acts the rapper believes were fuelled by jealousy over Cudi’s brief relationship with Diddy’s long-time ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Testifying on day nine of Diddy’s explosive sex trafficking and racketeering trial, Cudi, 41, told jurors that the Bad Boy mogul entered his home uninvited in December 2011, just days after Cassie told Cudi she was “scared” that Diddy had discovered they were seeing each other. Cudi, real name Scott Mescudi, described returning to his property to find his dog locked in the bathroom and visibly shaken, while family presents had been tampered with.
“I wanted to fight him,” Cudi admitted. But realising “the reality of the situation”, he instead called the police. A month later, in January 2012, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the driver’s seat of his Porsche through a hole deliberately cut in the roof. The car was destroyed.
Cudi told the jury he confronted Diddy afterwards. “He was calm, staring out the window like a Marvel supervillain,” Cudi recalled. When Cudi asked him directly about the firebombing, Diddy shrugged: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cudi said he believed that to be a lie.
Earlier in the week, Cassie concluded four days of gut-wrenching testimony, accusing Combs of years of abuse during their 11-year relationship and saying he threatened to blow up Cudi’s car after discovering their relationship through messages on her phone during a so-called “freak off” – a term used by prosecutors for Combs’ alleged drug-fuelled sex events, which they say spanned two decades.
Prosecutors allege Diddy used intimidation, money, and a loyal network of staff to coerce women into sex work across state lines and silence potential witnesses. The rapper, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five counts: racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transportation for prostitution.
Combs’ defence tried to discredit Cudi by claiming Cassie “played” both men and was living “two different lives” at the time. But Cudi insisted his relationship with Cassie ended amicably, saying he “wanted to give her space” and “the drama was too out of hand.”
The court also heard from celebrity make-up artist Mylah Morales, who testified that Cassie was left with a swollen eye, a busted lip and “knots on her head” after a 2010 fight with Diddy. She said Cassie stayed at her apartment to recover and refused to seek medical help, fearing Diddy’s reaction.
In further testimony, Combs’ former assistant George Kaplan detailed acts of aggression against other women and described how Diddy would use staff to carry large amounts of cash, including $50,000 in one incident and $10,000 in another. Kaplan said he witnessed Diddy throwing decorative apples at another girlfriend, Gina, and violent episodes aboard private jets.
Diddy, once a titan of the music industry who helped shape hip-hop by launching stars like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher, has been behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since September. If convicted, he could face 15 years to life.
The high-profile trial continues next week.
