Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Sean Combs: Singer Dawn Richard and Cassie's ex-best friend testify.
20 May 2025
The former Danity Kane member endured a tough cross-examination but maintained that she witnessed Combs be violent toward his ex-girlfriend on more than one occasion. And Kerry Morgan, who says she and Cassie became best friends when they were both teenage models, says she too witnessed Combs asault Cassie. But when Combs assaulted Kerry, she says, she signed an NDA and broke ties with both of them. If you want to read NBC's coverage of the trial, check out our newsletter, “Diddy On Trial”: NBCNews.com/Diddy
Full Episode
This is On Trial, a special series from Dateline True Crime Weekly, bringing you daily coverage from the Sean Combs racketeering trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. I'm Andrea Canning, and it's Monday, May 19th. Just a heads up, in this episode, we're going to be talking about some graphic details and harrowing subject matter.
Prosecutors began week two of presenting their case with testimony from Dawn Richard, a singer and songwriter who worked for Combs, and says she witnessed multiple acts of violence by him toward his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. We'll get to Richard's testimony and what the defense had to say about it in a minute.
But first, we wanted to talk about a couple of questions we're hearing a lot of people ask about this trial. Why are there not cameras in the courtroom? And why isn't Combs criminally charged for all this alleged violence and sexual assault? As always, NBC News correspondent Chloe Malas joins me from right outside the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan to get us up to speed. Hey, Chloe.
Hey, Andrea. Okay, so Chloe, we know this from covering lots of trials, but some people don't. Remind us why we cannot televise Sean Combs' trial.
When it comes to federal courtrooms, this has been a rule since the 1940s. Judges are really worried about there being this circus-like atmosphere, and they're also concerned that the flashes and the cameras and all of this could intimidate witnesses.
People over the years have tried to change this rule, but no luck.
Correct. And a lot of my mom friends, they've pointed to Johnny Depp or they've pointed to O.J. Simpson. Those are state cases. This is federal. Totally different. And I understand the interest here, but it's just not something that the judge would allow to happen.
That's why we have court sketches and we have you, Chloe. Exactly. All right. So let's talk about this other question. Why Combs is charged with this racketeering conspiracy and all that goes along with that, but not the alleged rape that Cassie testified to last week or any of the alleged domestic violence we've been hearing about from other witnesses.
It is such a good question and something that journalists, we've all been talking about behind the scenes. And when you're seeing rape and you're seeing domestic violence cases, that's usually brought by the state. That's not a rule. It's not hard and fast. And look, a sex crime can be federal in some circumstances.
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