Rapper Kid Cudi took the stand Thursday for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial after his name was brought up during multiple testimonies from other witnesses.
The Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, has been a focal point of this case due to his past fling with Combs’ ex Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, which allegedly “enraged” the rap mogul.
Cudi, 41, testified from Manhattan federal court that in January 2012, he received a call from his dog sitter sometime between 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. local time one morning. The sitter then informed him that his “car was on fire.”
When he arrived, the “Day ‘n’ Nite” rapper said he found the driver’s side of his Porsche 911 Cabriolet had been burned and he said to himself, “Uhh, what the f–k.” A molotov cocktail — which is an incendiary device, typically a bottle filled with flammable liquid that ignites on impact — was nearby on the ground.
Cudi testified that he believed Combs “had something to do” with the incident. However, the Bad Boy Records founder’s lawyers objected to his response and it was stricken from the record. The attorneys also noted that female DNA had allegedly been found on the vehicle.
That incident had been preceded by another in which Combs’ then-assistant Capricorn Clark told Cudi in December 2011 that Combs had broken into his Los Angeles home after learning of his fling with Ventura.
The “Cudi Zone” rapper testified that he was unaware the “Me & U” singer was also dating the “I Need a Girl” rapper at the time. He recalled Ventura acting “stressed, nervous, scared” during that time and confessing that she gave Combs Cudi’s address when he asked her for it.
“‘Motherf–ker, you in my house?’” the “Mr. Rager” rapper recalled shouting over the phone at Combs. He said Combs, whose number he had from “years ago,” allegedly responded, “I just want to talk to you.”
Cudi testified that his security cameras were not working at the time, but when he arrived, he saw gifts, including one from Chanel, opened and his “jittery” dog locked inside of his bathroom.
The rapper testified that he called the police and made reports for both the break-in and car fire. He also recalled eventually meeting up with Combs at Soho House to talk about what allegedly happened.
On the stand, Cudi described Combs looking like a “Marvel supervillain” during their January 2012 meet-up, noting the disgraced rapper was “staring out the window with his hands behind his back.”
However, the mogul was then “calm” and even offered him water twice, which Cudi thought was “weird.”
“His whole point was we were homies, you know. ‘That was my girl.’ I let him know she told me they were broken up and I took her word for it,” the “Just What I Am” rapper added.
He claimed the two men made amends but when Combs was asked about the car, he brushed it off with a “cold stare.” Cudi alleged Combs told him, “I don’t know what you’re talking about” and “Wait, I thought we were cool. Is there a problem?”
Cudi testified that years later, he did get an apology and felt “at peace” with what transpired.
There had been rumors for years about a feud between Cudi and Combs, but it was first officially confirmed in the civil lawsuit Ventura filed against her longtime ex-boyfriend in 2023.
The “Long Way 2 Go” singer reiterated the aforementioned claim that Combs blew up the “Mojo So Dope” rapper’s car in 2012, per court docs Page Six previously obtained.
“Around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway,” her lawsuit claimed. A spokesperson for Cudi corroborated those claims, telling the New York Times that the arson allegations were “all true.”
However, the “Bad Boy for Life” rapper told Page Six via his attorney Ben Brafman in response, “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.”
Ventura settled her lawsuit with Combs within 24 hours, and later revealed for the first time during her May 14 testimony that the “All About the Benjamins” rapper paid her $20 million per their agreement.
Combs has said, though, that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing and continues to deny the allegations mentioned in the complaint.
During her May 15 testimony, Ventura divulged additional details about her romance with Cudi — and how it affected the “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper.
The “King of Hearts” singer also testified she met the “Memories” rapper in 2011 — when she was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Combs — and she would communicate with him via a burner phone.
“I did not want him to find out. I thought it would be way too dangerous,” she added, explaining why she hid her then-new romance from the “Last Night” rapper.
Ventura also testified that she continued having “Freak-Offs” with Combs despite dating Cudi, and that the “Making the Band” producer found out about her fling with “Better Place” rapper during one of the romps.
She also testified she only dated Cudi for less than a month, but the confirmed it still got under the Combs’ skin because of the “Pursuit of Happiness” rapper’s “stature in the industry.”
When Ventura’s mom, Regina Ventura, testified Tuesday, she revealed Combs allegedly demanded $20,000 in exchange for her daughter’s fling with Cudi.
“He was angry that he had spent money on her and she had been with another person,” the matriarch claimed on the stand.
Regina testified that she and her husband, Rodrick Ventura, took out a home equity loan to fulfill the payment, because she was “scared for [her] daughter’s safety.”
Combs is on trial after being charged with sex-trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty but, if convicted, could face up to life in prison.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
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