Diddy threatened to kill singer if she told anyone she saw beating, court hears

DAWN RICHARD SAYS SHE SAW SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS BEAT HIS THEN-GIRLFRIEND CASANDRA VENTURA, KNOWN AS CASSIE, WITH A FRYING PAN IN HIS HOME RECORDING STUDIO IN 2009 23:29, 19 May

2025Updated 23:44, 19 May 2025 Sean “Diddy” Combs threatened to kill a singer if she told anyone she saw him beat his girlfriend, his sex-trafficking trial heard yesterday. Dawn Richard said

the Bad Boy Records founder made the threat the day after she witnessed him trying to hit Casandra Ventura – Cassie – with a frying pan and then beat her in his home recording studio in

2009. She said he told her and another woman they “could go missing” if either revealed what they saw, the jury heard. Asked by assistant US Attorney Mitzi Steiner what she took “we could go

missing” to mean, Ms Richard replied: “That we could die.” Combs, 55, is on trial in New York on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. It is alleged he exploited his status to abuse

women, including Cassie, through threats and violence. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers argue the case shows domestic violence but not federal crimes. Last week Cassie, who was with

Combs from 2007 to 2018, gave evidence that she wanted a loving relationship but was instead subjected to weekly drug-fuelled “freak-offs” with male sex workers that left her too exhausted

and damaged to pursue her music career. Article continues below Ms Richard told the court she saw Combs beat Cassie frequently. She said: “He would punch her, choke her, drag her, slap her

in the mouth. I saw him kick her, punch her in the stomach.” Ms Richard, who the court heard is suing Combs for withheld earnings after he ended her groups Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty

Money, signed to his label, agreed with earlier evidence that he had stifled Cassie’s fledgling singing career. She said she heard Combs tell Cassie that he “owned her” and that any success

she had would be on his terms. Article continues below Later, Cassie’s ex-roommate Kerry Morgan told the court she also saw Combs beat her former pal, and was attacked by him herself in

2018, but said Cassie was reluctant to leave him. She said: “He controlled everything. She would’ve lost all of her livelihood.” The trial continues.