Rapper Kid Cudi has told the trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs that his car was set on fire by a Molotov cocktail. He testified that it happened after Diddy found out about his relationship with Cassie Ventura.Also giving evidence on Thursday, Cassie Ventura’s make-up artist and friend, along with Diddy’s former executive assistant.A warning, this episode contains descriptions of violence and sexual violence.Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty rounds up the week’s evidence with the BBC’s New York correspondent Nada Tawfik, plus legal analysis and your questions answered with criminal defence attorney Shaun Kent.Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is on trial in New York, facing federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering with conspiracy and transportation for prostitution. He denies all the charges.The Diddy on Trial podcast is here to investigate the rumours, confront the theories, and give you the answers that you need.We also want YOU to be part of the conversation. Have you any questions about the case? Heard a theory that doesn’t sit right with you? Get in touch now via WhatsApp: 0330 123 555 1.Details of organisations in the UK offering information and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionlinePresenter: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Series Producer: Laura Jones Sound Design: Mark Burrows Senior Digital Producer: Matthew Pintus Producer: Kizzy Cox Production Coordinator: Hattie Valentine Editor: Clare Fordham Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Commissioning Assistant Producer: Rechmial Miller
Chapter 1: What happened in Kid Cudi's testimony?
And apparently Diddy told him, I'm over here waiting for you. When he got there, Diddy wasn't there. But then also later, because the court was shown these pictures of his car with a hole in the soft rooftop, the doors open, all of it kind of soot everywhere, car burnt out. He was asked, what was your reaction when you saw the car? And he said, I said, what the F?
So, you know, just a regular person's reaction to finding yourself in the situation where you thought, you know, the girl you're seeing is no longer with someone that you work with in the music industry. And the defense played on that, saying, you know, Cassie played you the way she played him. You thought they were apart. And he acknowledged that, yeah, I thought they were broken up.
And so he talked about how the relationship ended because it just got out of control. He said the drama got out of control. He thought also he needed to give Cassie space because things were just getting so heated and they both needed space for their safety.
And one of the most interesting things in Kid Cudi's recollection of events was when he spoke about what happened after the fact, like him and Cassie had broken up, but they had this kind of three-way meeting, I guess, hashing out issues with him, Diddy and Cassie.
Yeah, so just to set the scene, Kid Cudi says, you know, after my car was blown up, I thought I should probably talk to Diddy. He says they agreed to meet at Soho House in Hollywood. When he gets there, Diddy's security guard escorts him to a room that on one side is filled with windows. And he describes Diddy looking like a Marvel supervillain. He used that exact phrase.
Diddy was looking out the window. His hands were kind of clasped behind his back. And so Kid Cudi just approaches him. And he said... Diddy was eerily calm to the point where it was almost unsettling for Cuddy. He said it was weird. He kept offering me water. He was very calm. But he said they talked through the scenario. Eventually, Cassie joined, which he didn't expect.
And it made him a little sad. And then at the end of the meeting, he says they left it where they just got up and shook hands. And he said, I took that opportunity, looking him in the eye, shaking his hand to say, what about my car? And he said, Diddy responded, I don't know what you're talking about. Eventually he sees Diddy a few years later.
Diddy was there with his daughter and he said Diddy came to him and just apologized and he said at that point I just made peace with it. I wasn't expecting anything more from him.
The defense made a point of saying a few times like Cassie played both you and Diddy because Diddy didn't know that she was with you and you didn't know that she was still with Diddy and they emphasized that a few times.
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Chapter 2: How did the prosecution depict Diddy's behavior?
Chapter 3: What were the key pieces of evidence presented this week?
She said that she hired a lawyer after that, that Cassie asked her to meet at a pizza joint and told her she was milking it and she was over-exaggerating what had happened to her. And then she handed her a nondisclosure agreement and $30,000. And Carrie, at that point, took it. But she said she was really hurt that Cassie wasn't taking her side. And she didn't speak to her since.
And she noted, even though Cassie's moved on with her life, Cassie hasn't reached out to her either. So Cassie, prosecutors set that up a bit early on, talking to Cassie about why she's testifying in this case. And Cassie spoke about how she knows she hurt a lot of people and didn't treat them the way they should have been treated at the time. And she's carried that guilt.
And so part of this for her is part of that healing enclosure.
And then on Tuesday, we actually got a chance to hear from Cassie's mom. It wasn't the longest testimony. And to be honest, I expected her to get quite emotional on the stand, but that wasn't really what happened.
You would figure Cassie's mom, they'd want to go into many details. But, you know, Cassie testified how she really kept a lot from her mother. But we know that there was that email she wrote, again, going back to Kid Cudi, when Diddy found out about the relationship.
You know, Cassie on the stand talked about the threats he made and threatening to release one of the Freak Off videos on Christmas Day and another after and threats to her life and Cudi's. And so her mother... saying when she got the email, you know, she was just essentially devastated to receive that. And then she detailed an instance where Diddy demanded $20,000 from the family.
And Cassie's mom said they paid that. But that a few days later, I think four days later, Diddy gave the money back. So her testimony was quite brief. But again, trying, I think, for prosecutors to show that this was blackmail, coercion, all part of their case.
After that, we had some testimony from somebody called The Punisher. Now, I get it. I get why that is number one in the headlines. The name itself stops you in your tracks. But it was similar stuff to what we'd heard from the previous male commercial sex worker. And also, Neda, just tell us where he actually got that name from.
So he carried it from his youth, apparently playing basketball with his friends. That's what they used to call him, the Punisher. So maybe not the backstory people were expecting for an escort with that name, but he carried it on. And look, I think we have to remind people that
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Chapter 6: What was revealed about Diddy's former executive assistant?
He never assaulted me. He was a great boyfriend to me. He was an awesome person to me. You remember all in that fighting that the defense did at the beginning of the trial that says we don't want these prior sexual assaults. We don't want these prior accusations. We want all these things that they're accusing. Keep that out. Well, they put in his good character.
All of that stuff comes in because the United States gets to talk about his bad character. So, no, I don't think there's any way in the world they would bring Jennifer Lopez or any ex-girlfriend to come in there and talk about how wonderful of a person he is.
Just as a final point, do you think now, you know, at the end of the second week and we've got this four day weekend, they're going to start moving away from talking about Cassie?
The federal government, when they're trying a case, they're very methodical on their plan. I'm sure they have in their office a big board. And I think this was always their plan. And as soon as we got into the Kid Cudi, Cassie testimony, it'll be the next witness.
Sean, thank you so much for breaking that down for me this week. I'll see you next Thursday. Guys, please keep sending in your questions. I mean, those questions today, they were brilliant.
Those are really good questions. I'm back in a law school exam. What is that?
You need to start doing some recruiting. So Sean's practice is in South Carolina. If anybody wants to go and check it out.
Thank you for the emails that I'll be getting now.
I can come and make the tea. Actually, I'm not so good at tea. I could come and make the coffee. Sean, thank you so much. We'll see you next week for another Thursday Roundup.
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