Rapper Scott Mescudi, known professionally as Kid Cudi, testified about his relationship with Cassie Ventura and the abusive nature of her relationship with Sean Combs Thursday. He testified his car was torched with a Molotov cocktail after his relationship with Ventura ended and he suspected Combs was involved.
Earlier in the day Combs’ former assistant George Kaplan returned to the witness stand describing the demanding job of being Combs’ bag man and cleaning up liquor bottles and baby oil from hotel rooms.
Witnesses next week include another former assistant of Combs, members of LAPD and LAFD
Court will resume on Tuesday, giving jurors an extended holiday weekend, with another round of witnesses for the prosecutor.
Maurene Comey told the judge that Capricorn Clark, Combs' former assistant, will take the stand, as well as unnamed members of the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department.
The weekend comes early for jurors
HSI Special Agent Joshua Croft, who specializes in computer forensics, left the witness stand and drew a close on testimony for the week.
Court will not be in session tomorrow and Monday for the federal observance of Memorial Day.
When Croft left the witness stand and it was said that there'd be no more testimony, Judge Arun Subramanian jokingly asked jurors if they had any objections.
And after a bit of laughter in the courtroom, Subramanian told jurors to go for a bike ride or watch the Knicks playoff games this weekend.
Photos show damage to Kid Cudi's convertible
Prosecutors admitted photos into evidence today that showed burn damage to Kid Cudi's car, which he said was caused by a molotov cocktail in 2012 after Combs learned Cassie was dating Kid Cudi.
The photos show what appears to be a burned hole through the top of the convertible roof as well as scorch marks on the driver's seat leather and door.
Hotel manager says room marked out-of-order after Combs' stay and would require 'deep cleaning'
Frederic Zemmour, the hotel manager at L’Ermitage hotel in Beverly Hills, testified that a room would require deep cleaning after Combs' stayed there.
Zemmour told the court that Combs would stay under an alias. Notes marked in his hotel profile included that Combs used excessive amounts of oil and spilled candle wax on everything.
The room had to be marked out of order for a deep cleaning after Combs left, Zemmour testified, and an additional $500 fee was charged for damage.
Combs' defense did not cross-examine the hotel manager.
Makeup artist testifies she gave a handful of interviews
Morales, under cross-examination, confirmed that she's done a handful of interviews in recent months as misconduct allegations agains Combs surfaced.
She acknowledged speaking on the record to well known media figures such as Don Lemon and Piers Morgan in 2024 and participating in some documentaries about Combs.
The defense sought to paint Morales as an attention seeker, but the effort seemed to fall flat.
Cassie left with swelling and busted lip after going into room with Combs, Morales says
Morales corroborated some prior testimony from Cassie Ventura, who alleged that Combs beat her in a hotel bedroom after spotting her at an unexpected party at Prince's Los Angeles home.
The makeup artist told the court that she stayed behind to take a nap on the coach of Ventura's Beverly Hills hotel room that night and woke up to a commotion later. Morales testified that Ventura came in and went straight to the bedroom with Combs behind her.
The couple shut the door to the bedroom and Morales said she heard yelling and screaming before Combs left the hotel. She did not witness what occurred between the couple but said Ventura had a swollen eye, busted lip and knots on her head after the incident.
Morales testified that Ventura stayed with her for a few days after the incident and a doctor friend came to check on the singer, who refused to go to the emergency room.
The incident left Morales in fear for her life, so she didn't call the police, she said. She and Ventura saw each other a few times after that night but never acknowledged the incident, she said.
Government calls out 'sexual stereotypes' conveyed in topless pictures
Prosecutors accused the defense of prompting "sexual stereotypes" by handing over topless pictures of Cassie Ventura.
Combs' team gave the government pictures that showed when the next witness, the makeup artists Morales, did work for the defendant. Several of those pictures were of a topless Ventura, which drew Comey's ire.
"We don't want the suggestion of sexual stereotypes that if she dressed like this for photo shoots and in public it is more likely she consented to sexual activity," Comey told the judge.
Judge Subramanian also questioned whether any of the topless photos were relevant and defense lawyer Anna Estevao responded: "It shows that she had a full and blossoming career."
Subramanian allowed the defense to use some of the images, but not the topless ones.
Makeup artist Mylah Morales to take the witness stand
Mylah Morales, a makeup artist Cassie Ventura mentioned in her testimony, is expected to take the witness stand when court resumes after lunch.
Last week, Ventura told the court that Morales stayed behind to nap as she and her friends went to a last-minute party at Prince's home. But Ventura rushed out once she saw Combs, whom she said she didn't speak to before going to the party.
According to Ventura, Combs tracked her down and beat her in another room while Morales was in the vicinity. Ventura told the court she then stayed with Morales for a few days as her injuries healed.
Government and judge livid over 'sexual' questions
Away from the ears of jurors, Judge Subramanian chastised the defense for asking Kid Cudi about any sex he might have had with Cassie Ventura.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey called defense lawyer Steele's line of questioning "outrageous" and said: "We were shocked that defense spoke about sexual activity with this witness."
The judge agreed and said, "The line was clear and crossed."
"Mr. Steele, you knew the rule and it you did anyway," Subramanian said. "Is it going to happen again?"
"No," Steele replied.
Kid Cudi testimony concludes, court goes to lunch
Kid Cudi is off the witness stand and is not expected to return.
Judge Subramanian instructed everyone to go to lunch and return at 1 p.m. ET, giving everyone roughly 45 minutes to break.
