Diddy Trial: Dawn Richard Faces Tough Cross-Examination as Sean Combs’ Lawyer Reveals Inconsistencies in Her Testimony
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer revealed inconsistencies in Dawn Richard's testimony during an especially sharp cross-examination.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial continued Monday morning as his former bandmate Dawn Richard took the witness stand. Richard detailed incidents of alleged abuse between Combs and his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, as well as testified about his drug use and alleged threats against her.
Richard was a vocalist in the trio known as Diddy — Dirty Money from 2009 to 2011. The group disbanded in 2012. Prior to that, she was a member of the R&B group Danity Kane, which signed to Combs’ Bad Boy Records in 2005. During her close proximity to Combs, Richard said she witnessed him “punch,” “choke,” “drag,” and “kick” Ventura on several occasions. (Ventura took the stand last week, accusing Combs of rape, as well as years of physical abuse.)
“When [Ventura] stuck up for herself, [Combs] would hurt her for it,” Richard said. She detailed one alleged altercation in which Combs attempted to attack Ventura with a frying pan and then drag her up a set of stairs, an incident that she previously described in her civil lawsuit against Combs. The following day, Combs allegedly threatened that Richard could “disappear” if she told anyone about the incident. Richard said she took it as a death threat.
Popular on VarietyRichard’s testimony against Combs, which began Friday afternoon, seemed to generally align with the type of behavior that others have alleged against the Bad Boy Records mogul. But during defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland’s sharp cross-examination, she revealed many apparent inconsistencies in Richard’s testimony.
Richard had met with federal prosecutors on eight separate occasions before her appearance at the federal courthouse in New York, and Westmoreland’s cross-examination focused on where Richard’s story differed between those interviews. For example, in 2024 Richard had indicated she heard the frying pan hit the wall but did not see Combs attack Ventura with it. In a March 2025 sit-down with prosecutors, she said she saw Combs throw eggs at Ventura but put down the frying pan. Richard said in court on Monday that she did not recall her previous accounts of the incident.
Westmoreland also grilled Richard about Combs’ alleged threat to “disappear” her, asking why she did not bring it up to federal prosecutors until a meeting just over a week ago. Amping up the cross-examination, Westmoreland said, “It was a death threat that you didn’t recall on seven different occasions?”
In relation to another alleged incident, Richard seemed to blame her apparent inconsistencies on a “misquote” from her personal attorneys.
Westmoreland also pressed Richard on why she previously told prosecutors she had never seen Combs do cocaine but testified on Monday that she had. “At the time, I hadn’t recalled that,” Richard said.
Asked directly if her testimony had changed, she said, “It has.”
“Would you agree with me that as time progresses, your story changes?” Westmoreland asked.
“Yes,” Richard replied.
During Richard’s testimony, she said Combs had reached out to her over the years following the breakup of Diddy — Dirty Money. Westmoreland pressed her on the fact that she, too, had initiated contact with her former bandmate, up into the 2020s.
“You reached out to Mr. Combs on several different occasions,” said Westmoreland, and then, in a slightly mocking tone, “And you were so scared of him, right?”
Richard had apparently contacted Combs in the hopes of reuniting Diddy — Dirty Money.
“Mr. Combs had threatened you. You perceived the threats as death threats … but then you ask to work with him again?” Westmoreland said.
She attempted to paint Richard as resentful of Combs because he “ruined” her career by dismantling Danity Kane and Diddy — Dirty Money. In one particularly tense moment, Westmoreland said, “The songs that you’ve released [as a solo artist] haven’t reached the same levels as Danity Kane and Diddy — Dirty Money. No offense.”
She concluded her questioning by emphasizing that Richard is seeking money in a civil lawsuit she filed in September 2024, in which Richard alleges Combs groped her and subjected her to inhumane working conditions, as well as brutally beat Ventura on several occasions. The result of that civil lawsuit is still pending.
In a redirect examination, federal prosecutors allowed Richard to emphasize that the events described in her testimony occurred more than a decade ago, and memories “don’t always come back immediately.” She said she had no doubt that she witnessed Combs attempt to strike Ventura with a frying pan and drag her upstairs.
Richard also emphasized to the jury that while she is seeking compensation from the civil lawsuit, she has no financial stake in the result of Combs’ federal trial, in which he is charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. If convicted, Combs could spend the rest of his life in prison.
The famed East Bay cartoonist didn’t sugarcoat his situation, saying Monday that he’s in near-constant pain and that he doesn’t expect to live past this summer.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The famed East Bay cartoonist didn’t sugarcoat his situation, saying Monday that he’s in near-constant pain and that he doesn’t expect to live past this summer.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with CNN Anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson about their new book Original Sin.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
CORONATION Street super villain Harry Lowbridge has hinted he’s returning to the soap for a dramatic storyline. Harry, who played evil Logan Radcliffe on the ITV soap opera, was last seen on …
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Rihanna stuns in a sky-blue Alaia cutout dress draping her baby bump at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of 'Highest 2 Lowest' alongside A$AP Rocky.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Add Vice President JD Vance to the long list of MAGA weirdos wasting time spinning conspiracy theories about President Joe Biden hiding a cancer diagnosis while in office. On Monday, Vance was asked by a reporter aboard Air Force Two to comment on the...
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Danity Kane and Dirty Money member Dawn Richard took the stand in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial on Monday to continue her testimony, which began on Friday. CBS News' Jericka Duncan fills in ET's Rachel Smith on the biggest takeaways, comparing the back and forth between Richard and the defense to a pingpong game. This all comes after Cassie Ventura's headline-making testimony; her former friend, Kerry Morgan, took the stand after Richard. Combs maintains his innocence against all charges brought against him.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
GETHIN Jones hinted at his close bond with Helen Skelton weeks ago when he shared a post on Instagram dedicated to his “superwoman” co-star. It was revealed earlier today that the Morni…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Michelle Williams reflects on Heath Ledger’s emotional depth on Dax Shepard's podcast 'Armchair Expert'.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
‘My 600-lb Life’ star Latonya Pottain dead at 40 from congestive heart failure
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
RYAN Thomas is set to make a comeback to Coronation Street for Sue Cleaver’s exit after almost a decade away – and now he has revealed the real reason why. The actor-turned-reality-star …
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The 2025 ‘American Idol’ winner is a proud father to three daughters: Harmoni, Lyrik, & newborn Gianna. Find out more about his family here.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
'Dilbert' cartoonist Scott Adams has metastatic prostate cancer similar to what President Biden just announced. He alluded to using California aid-in-dying law.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
After TikToker Emilie Kiser’s 3-year-old son Trigg Kiser spent six days in hospital before his tragic death, local authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his passing.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.
