Star rapper Kid Cudi has taken the stand at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ New York trial, accusing the singer of breaking into his Los Angeles home after he discovered his relationship with Combs’ then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
“I wanted to confront him, I wanted to fight him,” the star said of Combs’ alleged home invasion.
Cudi, whose full name is Scott Mescudi, is the biggest name so far to testify at Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Combs has denied all the charges.
Mescudi also detailed how in the midst of tensions with Combs, a molotov cocktail was thrown into his Porsche and set alight. He said his impression was Combs “was lying” when he said he knew nothing about it.
In addition, the musician said he and Combs had been “played” by Ventura regarding their relationship.
A former assistant of Combs also testified, telling the court the musician was a “god among men” but he left his employment because of the musician’s “behaviour”.
While a member of staff at a hotel Combs frequented read out internal emails stating that “excessive amounts of oil” in the used room led to a US$1000 ($1695) “deep cleaning charge”.
On Thursday (local time), Mescudi, dressed in light blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a black leather jacket, took to the stand. He did not look at Combs.
In his testimony said he met Ventura in 2008 and the pair were in a brief relationship in late 2011. He said he was in love with her.
“When we first dated, [Ventura] told me she and Combs had problems and were not dating anymore.”
Mescudi added that Ventura told him Combs had hit and kicked her and she was “scared of him finding out we had been hanging out”.
In December 2011, Mescudi said he received an early morning call from a “nervous and scared” Ventura that left him “confused” because he thought she was “no longer dealing with [seeing] Combs”.
Mescudi said he took Ventura to a hotel for her “safety” after she revealed she had given Combs his home address in the Hollywood Hills.
Hours later, Ventura’s friend Capricorn Clark called to say Combs was inside Mescudi’s house.
Mescudi relayed a phone call he said he made to Combs as he drove home.
“Wassup?” he alleged Combs said when he answered.
“Motherf***er, you in my house?” Mescudi said.
“I want to talk to you,” Combs replied, he claimed.
“On my way over,” said Mescudi.
“I’m waiting for you.”
Mescudi told the jury he “wanted to confront Combs, I wanted to fight him”.
“If [Combs] wanted to talk, talk [but] this crossed a line”
Nonetheless, Mescudi decided to call police.
When he arrived there was no Combs but Mescudi said a stack of Chanel Christmas presents for his family had been unwrapped and his dog, which usually roamed the house, had been locked in a bathroom. It suggested someone had been in the property.
While Mescudi spent Christmas with Ventura and her family in Connecticut, he said Combs persistently texted him.
Mescudi said he eventually replied to Combs saying: “You broke into my house, you messed with my dog. I don’t want to talk to you.”
Mescudi and Ventura broke up after Christmas with the star saying “the drama was getting out of hand”.
“We needed some space for her safety and mine. I knew Sean Combs was violent.”
Early in 2012, Mescudi said his Porsche was set on fire outside his home. He claimed a molotov cocktail was on the drivers seat. The car was unsalvageable.
Mescudi said “my reaction was, what the f***” and the damage was “intentional”.
Police didn’t press any charges against anyone – including Combs – regarding the alleged break-in or car blaze.
Mescudi said he then got in touch with Combs after the fire blaze saying “this is getting out of hand”.
The pair met at private club Soho House in Los Angeles.
“Sean Combs was standing straight looking out of the window with his hands behind his back like a Marvel supervillain,” said Mescudi.
The rapper said Combs told him Ventura was “my girl”.
“She told me they were broken up and I took her word for it.”
“She played me,” he said.
“Both you guys were played, true?” Combs’ lawyer, Brian Steele, then asked.
“Yes,” replied Mescudi.
At the meeting, Mescudi said he asked Combs “what we gonna do about my car?” to which Combs said he had no idea what he was talking about.
Asked by US Government lawyer Emily Johnson if he believed Combs, Mescudi said he thought “that he was lying”.
Two years later at an event, Mescudi claimed Combs took him aside and said “man, I just wanna apologise for everything, all that bulls***”.
“After the apology,” said Mescudi, “I found peace. An apology was the last thing I was expecting from him.”
The manager of a ritzy LA hotel where Combs and Ventura had “freak off” sex parties, told the court about notes sent around the establishment about the filthy state the rooms were left in.
His comments came in contrast to those of Combs’ former executive assistant, George Kaplan, who testified that when he worked for the musician, between 2013 and 2015, he tried to clean the rooms to protect his boss’ reputation.
The general manager of the L’Ermitage Beverly Hills hotel, Frédéric Zemmour, said Combs would stay under the aliases of “Frank White” and “Frank Black”.
“Always spills candle wax on everything and uses excessive amounts of baby oil,” a memo sent around staff stated.
“Place the room out of order upon departure for deep cleaning. Authorise an extra $1000 when guest stays to cover any room damages”.
Kaplan on Thursday told prosecution lawyers that he “desperately did not want to come here today”.
“I have nothing against Sean Combs. I 100% did not want to testify”.
Kaplan had previously said how overawed he was to get a job with Combs, whom he considered a “god among men”.
He said he was present when two violent actions by Combs appeared to take place. One against Ventura on a private jet and another when the star allegedly threw apples at another girlfriend, known as Gina.
The former assistant said neither he nor any other staff intervened. For his part he said he was a “young kid trying to make it in the entertainment industry and I thought this might be normal”. He admitted he may have had “tunnel vision” about his career.
Eventually, Kaplan quit – albeit with more than three months’ notice.
“It shook me tremendously,” he said of the alleged violence.
“I was unwilling to stand by the behaviour.”
Kaplan said some of his friends berated him for leaving Combs’ employment.
“They told me this was my Harvard and I was blowing it.”
Kaplan said he remained in touch with Combs. But the relationship seemed one-sided.
“I invited him to my wedding,” he told the court. “I did not hear back.”
The trial continues on Tuesday.