In dramatic testimony on Thursday during Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ongoing sex trafficking trial, rapper Kid Cudi accused the hip-hop mogul of breaking into his home and setting fire to his Porsche in retaliation for dating Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
The trial, now in its second week, has featured testimony from 16 witnesses, including Cassie herself.
Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, described a pattern of aggressive and intimidating behavior by Combs dating back to 2011.
Cudi testified that he briefly dated Ventura in 2011, believing she was no longer involved with Combs.
He recounted Ventura confiding that Combs had physically assaulted her. According to Cudi, tensions escalated dramatically in December 2011 when Ventura called him around 6 a.m., terrified that Combs had discovered their relationship.
Fearing retaliation, the couple fled to a nearby hotel after Ventura said Combs had attacked her with a wine bottle opener before she escaped.
Upon returning to his home, Cudi found signs of a break-in: security cameras tampered with, gifts opened, and his dog locked in the bathroom. He reported the incident to the police but no arrests were made.
Weeks later, in January 2012, Cudi was alerted that his Porsche had been set on fire outside his home.
Photos presented to the jury showed the car’s roof had been cut open and a Molotov cocktail appeared to have been used to ignite the blaze.
Cudi arranged a confrontation with Combs at the Soho House in Los Angeles, where he described Combs as “standing there, staring out the window with his hands behind his back, like a Marvel supervillain.”
When questioned about the burned Porsche, Combs denied involvement, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The two met again in 2015 at the same venue, where Combs allegedly apologized, saying, “Man, I just want to apologise for everything and all that bullsh*t.” Cudi said he “found peace” with the situation following the apology.
Under cross-examination, Cudi confirmed that DNA samples were collected from the burnt car, but no results were shared and no arrests followed.
Defense attorney Brian Steel suggested Cassie had manipulated Cudi, an idea the rapper acknowledged.
Cudi concluded his testimony by saying their relationship ended for safety reasons, stating, “I knew Sean Combs was violent.”
