Dawn Richards testifies to witnessing Sean Combs hit Cassie Ventura

The former Danity Kane member said on Friday that she had also seen the disgraced mogul attempt to hit his ex-girlfriend with a skillet.

By Drew Gillis | May 19, 2025 | 5:05pm

Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage

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Dawn Richards testifies to witnessing Sean Combs hit Cassie Ventura

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The Sean “Diddy” Combs trial entered its second week of testimony today, with Dawn Richards, a former member of the girl group Danity Kane, on the stand. Richards began her testimony on Friday, saying last week that she had witnessed Combs attempt to hit ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura with a skillet at a 2009 incident at his Los Angeles home, per The Guardian. On the stand today, Richards detailed other incidents where she says she did see Combs physically hurt Ventura.

“Frequently, he would punch her, choke her, slap her in the mouth,” Richard said, per the outlet. “I saw him kick her, punch her in the stomach.” She added, “It could be because Cassie was speaking up for herself, it could be random.” Richards also claimed that members of Combs’ staff and security would witness him violently lashing out at Ventura, but “they wouldn’t react” or “do anything.”

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Ventura’s former best friend Kerry Morgan also took the stand on Monday, and said that she witnessed Combs assault her twice. One of those times, Morgan said, was in Los Angeles, and that Combs’ team declined to do anything to stop it. Morgan also said that she personally had been assaulted by Combs, who hit her on the head with a wooden hanger in a 2018 incident. Morgan considered pressing charges, but Ventura told her to take $30,000 that Combs offered her to sign an NDA, which she did. Both women testified that their friendship ended shortly after that.

Combs is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. The trial is expected to last about seven more weeks, and Combs faces up to life in prison.