Rapper and actor Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi, took the witness stand Thursday in the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, providing testimony about his relationship with R&B singer Cassie Ventura and incidents he alleges involved Combs.
Mescudi, dressed casually in jeans, a leather jacket, and a white T-shirt, told the Manhattan federal court that he met Cassie in 2008 and briefly dated her in 2011. At the time, he believed Cassie and Combs, her former boyfriend, were no longer involved. “She and Sean Combs had some problems and they weren’t dating anymore,” he said.
According to Mescudi, in late 2011, Cassie called him in distress, saying Combs had discovered their relationship. “She sounded really stressed, nervous, scared,” he recalled. Mescudi said he went to pick her up and took her to the Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood to keep her “off the radar” and away from Combs. While there, he received a call from Combs’ assistant Capricorn Clark, who was “on the verge of tears” and reported that Combs and an associate had entered Mescudi’s Hollywood Hills home without permission.
Mescudi said he immediately drove home, calling Combs on the way. He asked, “Motherf***er, are you in my house?” Combs calmly replied, “I want to talk to you.” Upon arrival, Mescudi found evidence of a break-in: Christmas gifts he had purchased were opened, and his dog was locked in a bathroom. He described his dog as “very jittery” after being confined. Uncertain about Combs’ intentions, Mescudi contacted the police and filed a report.
Weeks later, Mescudi testified that his Porsche 911 convertible was set on fire while parked at his home. Photos displayed in court showed significant damage to the car’s fabric roof and a Molotov cocktail discovered inside. Though no direct evidence linked Combs to the arson, prosecutors highlighted an email from Cassie stating that Combs threatened harm against Mescudi and herself.
The following day, Mescudi met with Combs and Cassie at the Soho House hotel in Los Angeles in an attempt to resolve tensions. He described Combs as “calm” but “off-putting,” comparing his posture to a “Marvel supervillain.” When Mescudi confronted Combs about the car fire, Combs denied any involvement, responding with a “cold stare” and saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mescudi testified that despite his suspicions, he eventually made peace with the situation. Several years later, the two unexpectedly crossed paths again at the same hotel, where Combs offered an apology for “all the bullsh#t,” which Mescudi accepted.
Under cross-examination, Combs’ lawyer Brian Steel questioned Mescudi’s account and portrayed Cassie as living a “double life,” suggesting she had misled both men about her relationships. Mescudi acknowledged Cassie had not been honest about still seeing Combs while dating him and said he felt “played” by her.
The trial continues as prosecutors present further allegations of abuse and retaliation tied to Combs, who denies all charges. Cassie Ventura’s prior testimony detailed alleged years of abuse during her decade-long relationship with Combs.
