New York — Rapper and actor Scott Mescudi, known professionally as Kid Cudi, took the stand Thursday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial. Mescudi described a tense confrontation with Combs and a disturbing series of events after he briefly dated singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
Mescudi testified that he and Ventura began dating in 2011, believing she was no longer involved with Combs. But later that year, Ventura called him sounding “nervous and scared” after Combs discovered their relationship. She claimed Combs was abusive and feared his reaction.
Cudi picked her up and drove her to a hotel in West Hollywood. There, they received a distressed call from Combs’ employee, Capricorn Clark, who said Combs had gone to Mescudi’s home in the Hollywood Hills. When Mescudi returned home, he found signs of a break-in: opened Christmas gifts and his dog locked in the bathroom, visibly shaken.
“I wanted to confront him. I wanted to fight him,” Mescudi said, recalling that he called Combs, who told him, “I just want to talk to you.” Mescudi filed a police report following the incident.
Later that month, while visiting Ventura’s family for the holidays, Combs texted Mescudi asking to talk. Mescudi refused, saying, “You broke into my house, you messed with my dog.”
In January 2012, Mescudi received a call from his dog sitter at 6:30 a.m.—his car had been set on fire. When he returned home, he found smoke damage and a hole in the roof. A Molotov cocktail was found near the scene. Though there’s no direct evidence linking Combs to the fire, prosecutors showed a 2011 email from Ventura stating Combs said he’d have someone “hurt me and [Mescudi] physically,” and that he’d be “out of the country when it happened.”
The next day, Mescudi met Combs and Ventura at the Soho House in Los Angeles. Mescudi said Combs was “calm,” which felt “off-putting.” When Mescudi asked about his car, Combs replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mescudi believed he was lying.
The two wouldn’t meet again until years later at the same location. Combs approached Mescudi and said, “I just wanted to apologize for all the bullshit.” Mescudi said the apology was unexpected, but he chose to “make peace” with the situation.
When asked why he ended his relationship with Ventura despite still having feelings, Mescudi responded, “For my safety, for her safety,” adding, “I knew Sean Combs was violent.” Under cross-examination, he confirmed he never saw Combs abuse Ventura or was personally threatened.
Mescudi isn’t the only celebrity to come up during the trial. Ventura previously mentioned a brief fling with actor Michael B. Jordan in 2016. Her former friend, Kerry Morgan, testified that Combs was jealous of that relationship too.
The trial continues.
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