Dawn Richard testifies in court about alleged disturbing acts she says Diddy did to to Cassie

Dawn Richard has taken the stand in court, where she has claimed that she allegedly witnessed Diddy being abusive to Cassie.

Cassie and Diddy. Credit: Jason LaVeris / Getty

On May 14, the singer and actress, full name Cassandra Ventura Fine, resumed her explosive testimony in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ongoing federal sex crimes trial.

Cassie and Diddy dated on and off for nearly a decade before splitting in 2018.

But behind the red carpets and music videos, she alleges a dark pattern of violence and control — including r*pe, coercion, and disturbing “freak-off” parties where she and others were allegedly exploited.

Now, former Bad Boy Records singer Dawn Richard has taken the witness stand with disturbing claims.

Richard, 41, who was signed to Diddy’s label from 2005 until 2011, testified in court that she witnessed multiple alleged incidents of abuse involving the R&B singer and producer, including beatings that left Cassie visibly hurt and traumatized.

Per Inner City Press, prosecutor Christy Slavik questioned Richard in front of the jurors.

“When Mr. Combs told you people could go missing, how did you interpret it?” Slavik asked.

Richard didn’t hesitate with her chilling reply: “That people could die. I couldn't believe that this could be the beginning of a journey for us.”

Cassie began working with Combs when she was just 19.

The pair officially began dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship that spanned more than a decade. Combs, who was 37 at the time she signed, wielded significant power in both her personal and professional life.

The jury saw a series of images displaying Cassie's injuries. Credit: Department of Justice

Slavik pressed further, asking Richard about the violent episodes she allegedly witnessed.

“What did you observe?” Slavik asked.

Richard stated: “He would drag her and kick her and punch her in the mouth.”

According to Richard, these alleged attacks would often occur “when she would speak up for herself.”

She said she wasn’t the only one who saw the abuse, adding that two members of Combs’ own security team were also present during some of the incidents.

When asked specifically where Cassie was hit, Richard replied: “Her knees, her face, all over.”

One particularly harrowing account came from an incident at Combs’ residence while Richard was in town for a Central Park music festival.

“He punched Cassie. She came into the bathroom crying. You could see her upset. Like, she was hurt—” she began before Combs’ attorney, Nicole Westmoreland, objected. The judge sustained the objection, halting the line of testimony.

Richard didn’t stop there. She told the court she saw Cassie with a “swollen eye” and recalled Combs allegedly yelling at Cassie and saying, “shut the f*ck up” while slapping her in the mouth.

Cassie has testified against her ex-, Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for SHOWTIME

The singer admitted she never confronted Combs, fearing the consequences of speaking out.

“I asked myself, If he did that to someone he supposedly loved, what he do to an employee? So I'd approach Mr. Combs with softness,” she said.

Among her many allegations, Cassie told jurors that in 2018 — while in a new relationship — she met Diddy at a Malibu restaurant where he was “really nice.” She claimed he later brought her back to his apartment and sexually assaulted her, per E News.

“I went inside, he came in and raped me on the living room floor,” she told the court. “I just remember crying and saying no, but it was very fast. His eyes were black, he wasn’t himself, it was like somebody taking something from you."

Diddy has denied all charges. His legal team maintains that he has never engaged in non-consensual sex and claims that all encounters were voluntary.

Featured image credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images