By Katie Hawkinson, Rachel Clun and Kelly Rissman, The Independent.
Dawn Richard and Kerry Morgan testified in the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial today, following dramatic testimony last week from his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Morgan today testified she was assaulted by Combs in 2018 and stopped talking with Ventura because of it.
Ventura and Morgan were friends from 2001 to 2018. Morgan also told the jury she saw Combs assault Ventura twice.
Earlier today, Richard told the jury that Combs once said he “owned” Ventura, and that she could “see” that Ventura was afraid of him. Richard separately sued Combs last year, accusing him of sexual assault, forced labor, and forced imprisonment.
During her four days on the witness stand last week, Ventura testified she was made to have “freak off” involving her having sex with other men as directed by Combs, often while using drugs.
Ventura told prosecutor Emily Johnson she’d return the $20 million settlement from her 2023 civil lawsuit against Combs if she “never had to have freak offs.”
Combs is facing sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy charges. The hip-hop mogul was arrested in September 2024 as federal authorities alleged he threatened, abused, and coerced victims “to fulfil his sexual desires” between 2004 and 2024. Combs has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.