Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment and domestic violence which some readers may find distressing.
Dawn Richard has spoken out on the alleged horrific things she saw Sean 'Diddy' Combs do towards Cassie.
The singer took to the stand during his trial as he faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy denies all charges.
Richard was signed on the rapper's Bad Boy Records label with her girl group, Danity Kane, from 2009 until 2011, during which she is alleged to have witnessed Cassie be assaulted by him.
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Full name Casandra Ventura, she was in a long term relationship with Combs from 2007 to 2018 and during her testimony last week she exposed more about the drug-fuelled 'freak offs' he allegedly orchestrated.
In her testimony, Richard claimed that she saw the Hip-Hop mogul hit the singer over the head with an egg skillet in 2009, knocking her to the ground.
Having been 'shocked' and 'scared' by what she witnessed, she added that the following day, Combs told her: "You could go missing."
Prosecutor Christy Slavik asked Richard in court: "When Mr. Combs told you people could go missing, how did you interpret it?"
"That people could die. I couldn't believe that this could be the beginning of a journey for us," the former girl group member responded.
After witnessing this skillet incident, Richard claimed she 'frequently' saw him being violent toward Cassie.
“He would punch her, choke her, drag her, slap her in the mouth,” she said. “I saw him kick her, punch her in the stomach.”
The singer also claimed that members of Comb's staff would see these alleged attacks which left injuries on Cassie's 'face, eyes, legs, arms, and knees'.
"They wouldn't react, they wouldn't do anything," she added.
On another occasion, Richard alleges she saw Combs punch Cassie in the stomach while they were at a restaurant. When they left, she said they were arguing in the car with Combs' partner 'embarrassed' by what happened.
Richard testifies that when Cassie told him he shouldn't have done that in public, 'He grabbed her by the neck and popped her, slapped her in the mouth' told her to shut up.
The singer added that after Cassie was allegedly left with a black eye from a punch, she and one of her bandmates wore sunglasses with her in public 'to have solidarity, to be a friend, to be a support system for someone who needed it'.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.
Alternatively, if you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Diddy, Celebrity News, Cassie Ventura, Celebrity
Jess Battison