Singer Dawn Richard took the stand in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial, claiming she witnessed disturbing abuse toward Cassie Ventura during their time on Bad Boy Records.
Richard testified that Cassie was frequently assaulted by Combs. “He would drag her and kick her and punch her in the mouth,” she told the court. She also recalled Cassie appearing with a swollen eye, crying in the bathroom.
Prosecutor Christy Slavik asked, “When Mr. Combs told you people could go missing, how did you interpret it?” Richard replied, “That people could die.”
Richard said the abuse usually happened when Cassie “would speak up for herself.” Fearing for her own safety, Richard admitted she never intervened: “If he did that to someone he supposedly loved, what would he do to an employee?”
Combs, now 55, faces charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Prosecutors allege he used his power to lure women into abusive relationships and forced sexual encounters, sometimes referred to as “freak offs.”
He has denied all allegations. The trial is ongoing.