NEED TO KNOW
Week two of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ racketeering and sex trafficking trial began on Monday, May 19 with Danity Kane member Dawn Richard and model Kerry Morgan testifyingThe mogul’s ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, testified for four days last week about how he allegedly physically abused her and forced her to perform sex acts with male escortsCombs pleaded not guilty and denies all of the allegations
Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly attacked Casandra “Cassie” Ventura’s best friend with a wooden coat hanger, an incident so jarring she ended her friendship with the R&B singer, she testified on Monday, May 19.
Model Kerry Morgan, 39, said on the witness stand during the mogul’s sex trafficking trial that she saw him assault Ventura, 38, at her home in the Hollywood Hills and in Jamaica.
Morgan alleged that she witnessed him “hit her, pull her hair, kick her, push her.”
During the incident at Ventura’s Hollywood Hills home, Morgan said she saw Combs push Ventura and was “pretty sure” he also punched and kicked her.
During the alleged assault, Morgan yelled to a nearby security guard to “do something,” but he allegedly refused.
Terrified, Morgan and Ventura ran to a neighbor’s house where they hid for hours while Combs searched for them, she testified.
In Jamaica in 2013, Morgan testified about an occasion when she heard Ventura let out “guttural” and “terrifying” screams.
She had no idea what was happening until she saw Combs allegedly dragging her friend by the hair, she testified.
Combs allegedly unleashed his fury on Morgan at Ventura’s Hollywood Hills home in 2018.
While Ventura was in the bathroom, Combs made a surprise visit to the apartment.
“He came up behind me and choked me, and boomeranged a wooden hanger around my head,” Morgan testified.
Angry, Combs accused Ventura of cheating on him and demanded to know who it was, which Morgan did not know, she testified.
Later on, at Combs’ request, she signed a non-disclosure agreement not to speak about the incident in exchange for a $30,000 payment, she testified. She never spoke to Ventura or Combs after that night, she said.
“She lost her confidence big-time,” Morgan said on the stand, recalling the years of Cassie’s relationship with Combs. “She lost her spark.”
Morgan testified that she urged Cassie to leave Combs. “I wanted her to do what she wanted to do, but I told her she should leave him,” Morgan testified. “And she said she could not, because of her job, her car, her apartment.”
Arrested in September 2024, the Bad Boy Entertainment founder is charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges.
On Friday, May 16 and Monday, May 19, former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard testified about how she saw Combs hit Ventura in the head with a skillet full of eggs — and threaten both women.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Combs could face life in prison if he is convicted on all counts. Since his 2024 arrest, he has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings