NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� testified Thursday that broke into his Hollywood Hills home in 2011 after finding out he was dating Combs' ex-girlfriend, the , and that he was sure Combs was behind the firebombing of his car weeks later.
Speaking at Combs' federal sex trafficking trial in Manhattan, Cudi said that while he and Cassie were briefly dating, he took her to a West Hollywood hotel in order to get her away from the seething Combs. While there, he said, he got a call from Combs鈥� assistant Capricorn Clark, who told him Combs and an affiliate were in Cudi's house and she had been forced to go with them.
Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, said he called Combs while driving home and asked why he was in his house. He said Combs calmly replied, 鈥淚 want to talk to you.鈥�
But Combs wasn鈥檛 there when he arrived, Cudi testified. Instead, he found that someone had opened Christmas presents he鈥檇 bought for his family and locked his dog in a bathroom. Cudi wasn鈥檛 sure what was going on, so he called the police.
Cudi's car is set on fire
A few weeks later, Cudi testified, his Porsche 911 convertible was damaged by fire while parked in his driveway. Cudi said he was at a friend鈥檚 house when his dog-sitter called and told him his car was on fire. Jurors were shown photos of the car鈥檚 red leather interior scorched and burned, with a hole apparently cut in the fabric roof. A Molotov cocktail was found on the passenger seat, Cudi said.
Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, testified last week that Combs threatened to blow up Cudi鈥檚 car and hurt him after he learned she was dating the Grammy Award-winning rapper.
Cudi told jurors that Combs denied involvement in the car fire when they met to try to smooth things over the next day at a Los Angeles hotel. He said he sought the meeting because 鈥渁fter the fire, I said this is getting out of hand. I need to talk to him.鈥�
Cudi said he didn鈥檛 have conflicts at the time with anyone other than Combs.
鈥淚 knew he had something to do with it,鈥� Cudi said, leading Combs鈥� lawyers to object. Jurors were told to disregard the remark.
Combs denies involvement in the blaze
At the end of the meeting, as they stood and shook hands, Cudi said he asked Combs: 鈥淲hat are we going to do about my car?鈥� Cudi said Combs gave him a 鈥渧ery cold stare鈥� and responded, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e talking about.鈥�
Cudi thought 鈥渉e was lying鈥� but let it go, and there were no more episodes at his house. A few years later, Combs apologized 鈥渇or everything鈥� when they ran into each other at a hotel, Cudi testified.
Combs seemed subdued as Cudi testified. Although he looked toward the witness stand, neither man seemed to react to the other. Cudi didn鈥檛 look at Combs when he left the stand. Wearing jeans and a black leather jacket, Cudi arrived at the courthouse smoking a cigarette while someone held an umbrella over him in the rain. He didn鈥檛 speak to reporters while leaving.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He denies using threats or his music industry clout to abuse women and others, and denies forcing Cassie or anyone else to take part in drug-fueled sexual performances called .
Combs' lawyer says Cassie was living 鈥榙ouble life鈥�
During the defense cross-examination of Cudi, Combs' lawyer Brian Steel painted Cassie as the villain in her relationships with Combs and Cudi, suggesting she had played both of them and had been living a 鈥渄ouble life.鈥�
Cudi testified that when he started dating Cassie in late 2011, she led him to believe she and Combs had broken up.
In reality, Cassie testified earlier, she was still seeing Combs for freak-offs and using a 鈥渂urner鈥� phone to contact Cudi and keep their relationship secret from Combs.
鈥淢s. Ventura was living two different lives, is that true?鈥� Steel asked.
鈥淵es,鈥� Cudi replied.
Cudi said he was in love with Cassie and was upset to find out she later decided to go back to Combs.
The federal investigation of Combs began in November 2023, a day after Cassie sued him alleging years of sexual and physical abuse. The lawsuit was settled by Combs for $20 million the next day.
Jury hears more allegations that Combs abused Cassie
last week, Cassie said Combs physically abused her during most of their relationship from 2007 through 2018.
She said she ended her relationship with Cudi in late 2011 after only a few weeks because Combs learned about it.
George Kaplan, Combs' personal assistant from 2013 to 2015, testified earlier Thursday that he saw Combs be violent with Cassie once on Combs' private jet in 2015. He said no one helped her as she screamed: 鈥淚sn't anybody seeing this?鈥� Kaplan said he didn't intervene because he was afraid of losing his dream job, but quit after that attack and a later episode in which he saw Cassie with a bruised eye.
After Cudi, jurors heard from makeup artist Mylah Morales, who鈥檚 worked for Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and other stars. She said Combs stormed into Cassie's bedroom at a hotel on the weekend of the 2010 Grammy Awards. Combs shut the door, and she heard 鈥測elling and screaming." Then she saw Cassie with a 鈥渟wollen eye and a busted lip, and knots on her head.鈥�
Later, the general manager of the ritzy L鈥橢rmitage Beverly Hills hotel testified that Combs frequently stayed there using aliases such as Frank White and Frank Black 鈥� names Cassie said he used when checking in for freak-offs.
Fr茅d茅ric Zemmour said Combs鈥� guest profile noted he 鈥淎LWAYS spills candle wax on everything and uses excessive amounts of oil.鈥� The profile instructed staff to 鈥減lace the room out of order upon departure for deep cleaning.鈥�
The trial is set to resume Tuesday.
___
Associated Press writer Julie Walker in New York and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
Michael R. Sisak And Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press
