Kid Cudi
Appearances
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
And he said that it was those things that made him really second guess why he was working for Combs, and he ultimately quit.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
Yeah, he did. He said, you know, this is a person that was larger than life. He had the world at his fingertips and that he learned a lot and that this executive team that he worked for was really the best of the best in the industry and that he still has respect for Combs.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
He said that he told a woman named Christina Karam, and she is Combs' chief of staff, or was up until recently, and that he told her about what happened on the airplane and that she was the first person that he told that he was going to be quitting. And he said that, you know, he didn't really get any sort of visible reaction back from her that he can remember.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
Do you think that we will see the chief of staff, Christina, get called to the stand? It's very unclear. Her name has been mentioned multiple times. You would think that if the government wants to hear from her, they will. Has Christina, the chief of staff, has she released any kind of statement? She has talked about this. She released a statement to Rolling Stone, and I'll read part of it.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
She said, For months, horrific accusations have been made about me regarding my former boss, meaning Sean Combs. She goes on to say these false allegations of my involvement are causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family. And then she calls it all disturbing and unthinkable.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
Right. So what we're seeing is when the defense has the opportunity to cross-examine these witnesses, they are pointing out that Diddy really was running these massive global businesses and that this was a happy environment, that people were learning a lot, and that although these were grueling hours, that that's pretty standard in the industry.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
So the defense has admitted that Diddy had a temper. I mean, remember, his nickname is Puffy. And how did he get that nickname? Because as a kid, he would huff and he would puff, right? So it's no secret. And at one point, Mark Agnifilo said, you know, from your perspective, his temper, from what you saw, it didn't help his business. And he said, no, it didn't.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
And Agnifilo says it hurt his business, right? Yeah. And he goes, yes, it did. And so what they're trying to say is that his anger wasn't keeping people working for him out of fear, that actually it elicited people to leave.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
So this idea that he was coercive and forcing people to stay in his company and carry out illegal activity, the defense team is like, well, wait, they're trying to say that people had free will.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
Kid Cudi says that in December of 2011, he got a phone call from Cassie, and it was at 5.30, 6 a.m., and she was freaking out. She was completely stressed, and she said, Diddy knows about us. He knows that we're dating. And Kid Cudi said he was totally confused because why would that be a big deal?
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
He and Cassie had been together for about a year, and he had no idea that she was still romantically involved with Combs or that it would even be an issue. And so he gets in his car, races to pick up Cassie, and takes her to a hotel. And then that's when they got a call from one of her friends whose name is Capricorn. And Capricorn said, Cuddy, I'm in front of your house.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
Diddy forced me to get in the car and go to your house. And he's inside with somebody else. So Kid Cuddy says that he is furious. He's so mad to think that Combs has broken into his house. He calls 911. And he's worried that he might be walking into a violent situation. So he gets to his house. There's no signs of forced entry.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
He goes into his kitchen to see some of his Christmas presents for his family unwrapped, but Diddy's nowhere to be found.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
Yeah, I mean, it's such a wild story. Shortly after Christmas, he and Cassie decide that they're not going to date anymore because Combs' presence is just looming over the relationship now. One morning in early January 2012, he gets a phone call from his dog sitter who says, "'Your car is on fire in the driveway.'" And the top of his convertible looks like somebody had slashed it.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
And a Molotov cocktail was found in the driver's seat. And for anybody that doesn't know what that is, it's a bottle with flammable liquid inside and a rag. Basically like a homemade bomb. Combs has denied being involved in this incident. He's absolutely denied being involved in this incident.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
So after this incident with the car, Kid Cudi testified that he was like, enough is enough. I want to go meet up with Combs in person. And, you know, Combs had actually been reaching out to him wanting to meet up. So they agreed to meet at Soho House, which is this very famous, exclusive members-only club.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
And this is actually a moment that got a lot of laughs in the courtroom today, believe it or not, despite the sobering testimony. Kid Cudi walks into this conference room and Diddy is staring out the window with his hands behind his back, his back to the door. And Kid Cudi said that he looked like a Marvel supervillain. And he says that he and Combs spoke and that he was very calm.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
There were no threats. They both talked about how they didn't realize that the other one was dating Cassie. And they shook hands. And he said, what are you going to do about my car? And looked him straight in the eyes. And Diddy looked back at him and said, what are you talking about? The prosecutor asked Kid Cudi about this exchange.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
And they said, what was your understanding when Sean Combs said, I don't know what you're talking about? And Kid Cudi said that he was lying. So a couple of years later, Kid Cudi actually ran into Combs again at Soho House, and he said that Combs approached him and said, man, I just want to apologize for all that bullshit.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
We know that the authorities led an investigation and they collected DNA evidence, fingerprints, and we heard Brian Steele saying, you know, what proof do you have that Combs left this Molotov cocktail in your car or told somebody to do it or that he had even been in your house? Where's the surveillance footage? Were there any eyewitnesses? And, you know, Kid Cudi couldn't demonstrate any of that.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
Absolutely. They have to... Proof, the prosecutors, that Cassie was in a violent relationship that she couldn't leave and she didn't leave. But this year dating Kid Cudi shows that maybe she was able to date who she wanted when she wanted and that she was able to freely...
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
If you see something on TV, change the channel, go for a walk, go on a bike ride. He said, watch the Knicks.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
Yeah, this is not the first time that we've seen this. And one of the things that he said was, you know, quote, I desperately did not want to be here. 100% would rather not be here.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Kid Cudi takes the stand.
That's really unclear, Andrea, because he didn't really incriminate himself in any way that I could see. He did talk about an incident that took place on an airplane in which he saw Combs get violent with Cassie Ventura, in which he heard glasses smashing. And when he went back to look, he saw Cassie crouched on the ground and Combs holding a glass bottle. and one of his hands up in the air.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Prosecutor Meredith Foster asked him about the encounter. Their exchange has been voiced by actors.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
The Punisher then told the jury that he thought it was a fetish and didn't have a thought process on whether Cassie enjoyed what was going on. He said his understanding was that it was a sexy scene that was enjoyable for Diddy. But he did say that he heard her sigh and wince at times, as if in frustration at being directed to perform by him.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
That's right, Kayla. And at this point, this offered a moment of levity in the trial when Hayes was asked about a self-help book he'd written for men with similar problems entitled In Search of Freezer Meat.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Yeah, and he also denied that he developed feelings for Cassie in their sessions, but he did admit that he believed he was the only person she performed with for Diddy. He claimed he had, quote, dry humped hundreds of thousands of women in his job as a dancer and knew how to, quote, read the room.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He said that during all the sexual encounters, it seemed like Cassie was consenting and he never got any cues from her that she was in any discomfort. And he said on at least one occasion, he thought she enjoyed having sex with him, but agreed it was like they were actors in a movie with Diddy as the director. Although he also accepted he never saw them filming any of their sessions.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Yeah, he agreed with Diddy's lawyer, Mark Agnifilo, that he'd been reluctant to take the stand because he had, quote, nothing against Sean Combs. In fact, when he was asked directly if he did not want to testify, he replied 100%.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Kaplan said that one of his jobs was traveling ahead of Diddy and setting up the hotel rooms. He said in New York it was usually Trump Tower, in Miami it was the SLS in South Beach. He said the hotels were usually booked under the name Frank Black, which he said was chosen because it was a reference to Biggie, whose nickname had been Frank White.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He said Diddy would stay in the hotel room, usually with a female partner, for anything between 12 hours and two days, and it would be his job to, quote, polish or clean it up afterwards. He said he did this to help protect Diddy's public image.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
That's right, Kayla. The jury has been getting a lot of information this week. Earlier this week, they were taken through the Hall of Personal Belongings recovered from Diddy's mansion in Miami when it was raided by the cops last year. So today we're going to talk to our reporter who was in the courtroom when those guns, bullets, drugs, lingerie and seven inch high heels were shown to the jury.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He said after they landed, he saw Cassie crying and Diddy asked him to go to the pharmacy to get some anti-swelling medication. He told the jury neither he nor any of Diddy's bodyguards intervened or called the police. He said he was only 23 at the time and that getting involved would be bad for his career.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Kaplan said he told Diddy's chief of staff, Christina Coram, about what he had witnessed and she agreed that it was disappointing. But he said he could not stand by that behavior and he decided to quit the job. He said it was around the same time that his father was diagnosed with cancer and he used that as the excuse when Diddy asked him why he was leaving.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
It was quite something, Kayla. He also told the jury that he still wishes Stidia a happy birthday every year. But ultimately, he said he was not comfortable with the physical violence that he'd witnessed and he did not want to, quote, be responsible for fixing up Cassie or Gina after they had been hit.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He said resigning was, quote, vexing because he respected Diddy, but he said he knew in his heart of hearts it was the right decision.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
She talked to the jury about domestic abuse and specifically why it was, quote, very common for women to stay in abusive relationships. She said there was a number of factors that caused them to feel trapped, including physical, psychological and sexual abuse. She said women who are beaten by their partners become frightened, which makes it harder for them to leave.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Yeah, and we've also got the testimony of one of Diddy's personal assistants who helped clean up hotel rooms after the freak-offs, but he quit after seeing him allegedly beat up his girlfriends. Welcome to the trial of Diddy, a Marvel supervillain.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
The expert said many victims are put down and made to feel, quote, like a piece of crap by their partner, which impacts their self-esteem. Others don't leave because they are financially dependent on their abuser.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Another one of Diddy's lawyers, Jonathan Back, who cross-examined Dr. Hughes, tried to suggest she was, quote, a professional witness who'd made a, quote, cottage industry out of testifying in court. She agreed that she was being paid $6,000 a day to testify, but she said only two-thirds of her income come from court work and her fees were the going rate.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Yeah, Kayla, it was quite a moment. Kid Cudi turned up to court today looking like James Dean. He was wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and a leather jacket. He was also smoking a cigarette as he entered the courthouse. He said he met Cassie in 2008 and they became close a couple of years later after Diddy asked him to do a song with her.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He confirmed they started dating in 2011 when she was on a break from seeing Diddy. He told the jury about an incident on December 22nd, 2011, when Cassie asked him to pick her up because she said Diddy had found out about them. He said they went to a hotel, but not long after, he took a call from Capricorn Clark, who was one of Diddy's employees that he and Cassie were friends with.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He said Capricorn was upset because Diddy had forced her to go with him to his house and she alleged that he had broken in. He said he immediately got into his car to return to his property. On the way, he said he called Diddy and told him he was a motherfucker for breaking into his property. He said Diddy was calm and told him he just wanted to talk, but he decided to call the police.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He said his security cameras had been moved and his dog locked in his bathroom. Christmas gifts he'd bought for his family had also been opened.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Yeah, the rapper then said that he reached out to Diddy and told him that they needed to talk. He said they arranged to meet at Soho House in Hollywood the next day.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He said it was just himself and Diddy at the meeting. There were no bodyguards or any other staff. He said they discussed the, quote, whole story of how he and Cassie started to date. He said he told him Cassie had said they'd broken up and he took her word for it. He said Diddy was very calm throughout, which was weird and very off-putting.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Eventually, he said Cassie came into the room and that made him upset because he realized that she had gone back to him. At the end of the meeting, he said they shook hands and he asked him what he was going to do about his car.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
At the height of his career, Sean Diddy Combs had it all. Everything Diddy touched turned to gold. Now, he faces multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and allegedly running a criminal enterprise.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
Yeah. The Punisher, who, by the way, is a pretty famous stripper in New York City, said that in the fall of 2012, Cassie Ventura hired him to create what he called a sexy erotic scene for herself and Diddy. He said she used the name Janet and asked him to come to Trump Tower in New York, where they were staying. This apparently was Diddy's favorite hotel in New York.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
The Punisher said that he and Cassie began applying baby oil to their bodies before a man, who he did not realize at the time was Diddy, entered the room. He said the man was nude, save for a Muslim veil or burqa that he was wearing over his face. He said he could only see the man's eyes and that he was carrying a bottle of lubricant and at points he began to masturbate.
The Trial of Diddy
A Marvel Supervillain
He said the encounter lasted about 45 minutes and ended when Diddy left the room. He said he was handed another $1,200 and he left.