Dawn Richard Unveils Abuse Allegations Against Diddy in Court Trial

Former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard testified in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs on Friday, May 16.

Richard, who is 41, was sworn in just before the court session concluded for the day. The prosecution questioned her about an alleged 2009 incident where she purportedly saw Diddy, 55, threatening Cassie in his Los Angeles residence.

“He came downstairs yelling, aggressive, demanding to know where his food was and continued to strike her in the head and kick her while she was on the floor in front of us,” Richard alleged, mentioning that she was visiting Diddy and was in the kitchen with Cassie, 38, during the supposed assault.

“He came downstairs furious, questioning, ‘Where the f*** are my eggs?’ and berating Cassie, saying she never does anything right and demanding to know where his food was,” Richard recounted. “He even approached the skillet with the eggs and attempted to hit her over the head, causing her to fall to the ground.”

Richard testified that Diddy continued to assault Cassie while she was down and then “took his arm around her neck and dragged her by the hair upstairs.” The next day, he allegedly invited Richard and her Dirty Money bandmate Kalenna Harper to record with him in the studio, where he referred to the attack they witnessed as “passion.” Richard further claimed he threatened them, stating, “People who speak up can end up missing.”

After Richard concluded her testimony, Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo requested the judge to disregard it, arguing that it did not pertain to the charge of sex trafficking. Conversely, the prosecution contends that Diddy’s alleged behavior fostered a culture that enabled him to commit more serious offenses.

Richard gained fame on Diddy’s MTV reality show Making the Band 3 from 2005 to 2006 and was part of Danity Kane alongside Aubrey O’Day, D. Woods, Shannon Bex, and Aundrea Fimbres. Shortly before Diddy’s arrest last year, Richard filed a lawsuit accusing him of manipulation, terror, and sexual abuse. She also asserted that she witnessed him physically assault his ex-girlfriend Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura).

In her lawsuit, Richard claimed Diddy abused her by forcing her to rehearse for 48 hours straight without rest, which resulted in dehydration and fatigue that caused her rashes. Additionally, she asserted he promised to advance her music career if she complied with his demands.

Richard alleged that Diddy insisted she come to his Miami home, where he was only wearing underwear. When she requested that he dress, Diddy allegedly shouted, “This is my f***ing house!” She also claimed he inappropriately touched her after barging into her dressing room at his recording studio and once locked her in a car for two hours while she screamed for help.

Additionally, Richard’s lawsuit included claims that she witnessed Diddy harm others, including his late girlfriend Kim Porter in 2005. Years later, she asserted she observed Diddy throw Cassie against a wall and choke her in his Los Angeles home.

Diddy denied Richard’s allegations in a statement released by his attorney Erica Wolff in September 2024. “Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an effort to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has fabricated a series of false claims aimed at obtaining a financial gain—conveniently timed with her album launch and promotional tour,” Wolff said to Us. “If Ms. Richard endured such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she wouldn’t have chosen to continue collaborating with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year. It’s regrettable that Ms. Richard has dismissed their 20-year friendship to seek monetary compensation, but Mr. Combs stands firmly on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”

Diddy was arrested in September 2024 and faced charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all allegations and has refuted the claims against him.

“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we consider an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Agnifilo stated at that time. “He is not perfect, but he is not a criminal. Mr. Combs has cooperated fully with this investigation, having voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please suspend your judgment until all facts are available. These actions belong to an innocent man with nothing to conceal, and he is eager to clear his name in court.”

Following his arrest, Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Judge Arun Subramanian denied his four bail requests.

Prior to Richard’s testimony this week, Cassie spent four days recounting her relationship with Diddy, which lasted intermittently from 2007 to 2018. Cassie filed her own lawsuit against the rapper in November 2023, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse throughout their relationship. He denied her accusations at the time, and they reached an out-of-court settlement a day later for $20 million.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, reach out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.