Musician Scott Mescudi, known as Kid Cudi, was called to the witness stand Thursday morning in Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing federal criminal trial.
Combs, 55, has been charged with sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering. He faces a life sentence behind bars and has pleaded not guilty.
Mescudi briefly dated Combs' longtime girlfriend, Casandra Ventura Fine, who is professionally known as "Cassie."
Cassie testified last week that Combs threatened Mescudi's life and said he was going to blow up Mescudi's car, though "not by his hands," when he found the two were dating in 2011.
Mescudi's Porsche was, in fact, set on fire by an “incendiary device” in January 2012. No one was charged, and Combs previously denied any involvement in a statement through his attorneys.
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During his testimony on Thursday, Mescudi said he knew Cassie and Combs were having problems when they started dating, but he believed they were not together anymore. He also said she confided in him about the physical abuse she endured, but not the alleged sexual abuse.
Mescudi said in December 2011, he received an early-morning, panicked call from Cassie in which she told him that Combs had found out they were dating. Mescudi said the call confused him because he thought she and Combs were no longer together.
Cassie asked Mescudi to come pick her up, and she sounded scared and nervous, Mescudi said.
An employee of Combs named Capricorn Clark called Cassie after he picked her up and said Combs and an associate we waiting for Mescudi in Mescudi's house. He said the employee sounded very scared on the phone. Mescudi said he called Combs, and Combs said he just wanted to talk to him.
When Mescudi got back to his home in the Hollywood Hills, he said his security cameras had been moved, gifts he had bought for his family were opened and his dog was locked in a bathroom. He later filed a police report about the apparent break-in.
Mescudi said he spent the holidays with Cassie and her family in Connecticut and ignored texts from Combs after the alleged break-in.
When he returned home after the holidays, Mescudi testified that he called Combs because he wanted to meet up and confront him.
The following January, Mescudi's car was set on fire with a Molotov cocktail. Mescudi testified that his dog sitter called him to let him know the Porsche was on fire.
The jury was presented with photos of the car, and Mescudi said it looked like the top of his car, which was made of fabric, was cut open where the Molotov cocktail was put in.
He testified that he met up with Combs to talk about his car because he felt like things were getting out of hand. “Sean Combs was standing there, staring out the window with his hands behind his back, like a Marvel supervillain,” Mescudi said.
When he asked Combs about what happened to his car, Mescudi said Combs replied that he didn't know what he was talking about. Mescudi testified that he believed Combs was lying.
Mescudi said the last time he saw Cassie was at a private club in Los Angeles shortly after his car was destroyed in 2012. He testified that they "just stopped talking" after they had kept in touch every day for almost a year.
He told the defense attorneys during cross-examination that he felt played by Cassie.
Combs went to Cassie's family when she started dating Mescudi
Cassie's mother, Regina Ventura, testified earlier this week that Combs threatened to release sex tapes of Cassie on Christmas Day in 2011 after he found out she was dating Mescudi.
Ventura also claimed that Combs demanded $20,000 from her as repayment for dating her daughter when he found out about Mescudi.
Ventura said she was worried for her daughter's safety, so she and her husband took out a home equity loan and wired the money to him. Days later, the money was wired back without an explanation.
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This is a developing story that will continue to be updated.
