Kid Cudi. Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
Last week, Cassie took the stand at the trial of her former romantic partner Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is charged with masterminding a criminal empire that engaged in racketeering and sex trafficking. During her testimony she accused Diddy of over a decade of rape and physical and mental abuse — Diddy is not on trial for the crimes Cassie has alleged, but her testimony is being used by the prosecution to build a picture of Diddy as the head of a sprawling illegal operation.
The road to this criminal trial began with a civil suit filed in November 2023 by Cassie against Diddys alleging rape and sexual abuse. Though settled a day later, her initial complaint contained an allegation that Diddy had threatened to blow up Cudi’s car, and that later the car “exploded in [Cudi’s] driveway.”
On Thursday (May 22), Kid Cudi testified in the Manhattan courtroom about his relationship with Cassie and subsequent interactions with Diddy.
An alleged break-in and intimidating messages
Born Scott Mescudi, Kid Cudi told the court that he and Cassie dated briefly beginning in 2011 during a break in her relationship with Diddy. “She and Sean Combs had some problems and they weren’t dating,” Cudi said per Variety, also testifying that Cassie had told him that Diddy was “abusive.” When Combs learned they were dating, Cudi said she sounded “stressed, nervous and scared,” and said ““she didn’t know what [he] would do.”
Their relationship, Cudi said, coincided with a serious of violent and disturbing occurrences at his home in the Hollywood Hills. After Cassie told Cudi that Diddy knew about them, Cudi said he received a call from Diddy staffer Capricorn Clark, who Cudi claims was “scared” and “on the verge of tears.” Diddy was in Cudi’s house, Clark said; when Cudi called Diddy to confirm this, Diddy allegedly said “I just want to talk to you.”
After Cudi arrived at his house, he claimed to notice signs of a break-in. His dog had been locked in a bathroom, and gift bags that Cudi had purchased for his family were opened. Cudi initially drove around looking for Diddy to fight him, but decided to file a police report instead.
Diddy attempted to contact Cudi in December of 2011, Cudi said, while Cudi was in Connecticut with Cassie’s family. Cudi allegedly responded: “You broke into my house, you messed with my dog, I don’t want to talk with you.”
Cudi and Cassie’s relationship ended not long after the Connecticut incident. But in January 2012, Cudi received a call from his dog sitter saying that his Porsche was on fire in his driveway. Upon returning to survey the damage, Cudi discovered a hole cut in the car’s roof and a Molotov cocktail nearby. Diddy was never charged in the incident and denied having any knowledge of it when Cudi spoke with him after the incident; last week, Cassie testified that Diddy had threatened to blow up Cudi’s car.
