Kaylah Walton
Singer and songwriter Dawn Richard testified in a federal court in Manhattan on May 19, 2025, sharing intense details concerning Usher related to the former relationship of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Cassie Ventura.
Richard, known for her work with Danity Kane and later with the trio Diddy – Dirty Money, recounted to jurors instances where she saw the music executive aggressively confront Ventura.
Richard described an incident from 2010 during a dinner at a trendy West Hollywood restaurant. A minor disagreement between Combs and Ventura escalated rapidly, culminating in Combs “punching her in the stomach.”
Richard noted that the gathering included notable figures such as Usher, Ne-Yo, and renowned music executive Jimmy Iovine, all of whom were positioned to witness the attack. Despite the number of bystanders, Richard claimed, “no one intervened.”
After their departure from the restaurant, Richard shared that she was in a vehicle with Combs and Ventura. During that ride, Combs allegedly seized Ventura by the neck, then struck her face while verbally assaulting her.
According to Richard, he told Ventura that she needed to obey him, while she remained silent and visibly distressed.
The singer also narrated a more severe altercation from 2009, where Combs reportedly hit Ventura with a skillet. Richard recounted that her horrified reaction, along with that of another witness, prompted a caution from Combs that they could “go missing” if they ever spoke about what they had witnessed.
When asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Steiner about her interpretation of Combs’ threatening remark, Richard replied without hesitation: “That he would kill us.”
The Defense Responds
Combs, age 55, has denied all allegations including those related to racketeering and sex trafficking. His principal attorney, Nicole Westmoreland, quickly sought to cast doubt on Richard’s reliability.
Westmoreland highlighted that Richard pursued further professional engagements with Combs in 2011, post the alleged incidents, arguing that this undermined her claims of feeling threatened.
Additionally, she pointed out minor inconsistencies between Richard’s previous statements and her current testimony, suggesting possible memory errors or exaggerations. In response, Richard noted that traumatic memories often emerge in bits and pieces, and fear of jeopardizing her career, as well as her safety, led to her prolonged silence.
While Combs has faced civil accusations over the years, including a 2023 lawsuit from Ventura, this current federal case marks the first instance where multiple witnesses have been heard to illustrate a larger pattern of violence, intimidation, and sex trafficking. Legal experts suggest that Richard’s personal narrative could enhance the government’s depiction of Combs as a pivotal figure in a system that allowed abuse to persist beneath the glitzy facade of Bad Boy Records.
Several more witnesses are anticipated. Prosecutors have indicated plans to summon former employees, bodyguards, and at least one medical professional who treated Ventura following an alleged attack. On the other hand, the defense has suggested it may present celebrity character witnesses who could contest the prosecution’s portrayal, presenting Combs as a strict, yet non-violent, executive.
If found guilty, Combs risks spending decades behind bars, along with the potential collapse of a career that significantly shaped hip-hop in the late ’90s and early 2000s. The case has also sparked renewed discussions regarding the imbalances of power within the music industry and the pressures on artists to remain silent.
For Richard, deciding to testify was a tough choice. “I still love music,” she stated confidently in court, “but I couldn’t keep silent any longer.” Her testimony, alongside those of others, now serves as a crucial aspect of a trial that may have repercussions far beyond the courtroom.
