Dawn Richard, singer and former member of Danity Kane, testified that Sean “Diddy” Combs “frequently” assaulted his then-girlfriend, Kathy Ventura. Richard recounted witnessing Combs attack Ventura back in 2009 during Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial.
“He was upset downstairs, shouting about his eggs,” she recalled in court. The singer and other members were recording at Combs’ mansion in Los Angeles at the time and saw the incident unfold.
Richard described how Combs grabbed a skillet and attempted to hit Ventura with it. Thankfully, she managed to shield herself somewhat by curling into a fetal position, but Combs continued the attack.
“He started punching and kicking her… his body against her head,” Richard testified further. After that, he put his arm around Ventura’s neck, restrained her, and dragged her upstairs while she struggled.
She admitted to feeling scared for both Ventura and herself during this ordeal. The day after the incident, Combs was said to have sent Richard and other artists to his house, where he locked Ventura in a recording studio and threatened her.
What Richard recalled was how they viewed Combs’ actions as typical of heated relationships. He told Ventura it would be “in our best interest” to remain silent about the abuse.
Combs allegedly remarked about his power in the industry, hinting that people go missing when he speaks. To smooth things over, he even gave them flowers, which Richard interpreted as a veiled threat of “death.”
Follow the latest updates on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial.
Richard previously filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Combs in September. In that suit, she alleged he once broke into her dressing room and groped her. There was also an occasion when he invited her to his Miami home, wearing just his underwear, and got angry when she asked him to put on clothes, exclaiming, “This is my F-King House!”
Richard is set to continue her testimony on Monday, while Combs faces charges of sex trafficking, assault, and prostitution, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege he operated a criminal enterprise for a decade, coercing women into sexual acts with male escorts. His lawyers defend him by claiming the women were consenting participants in his lifestyle.
