Sean Combs: Singer Dawn Richard and Cassie's ex-best friend testify.

Summary

Dateline: True Crime Weekly - Episode Summary

Title: Sean Combs: Singer Dawn Richard and Cassie's Ex-Best Friend Testify
Release Date: May 20, 2025
Host: Andrea Canning
Produced by: NBC News

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Introduction to the Sean Combs Racketeering Trial

In this gripping episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly, Andrea Canning delves deep into the ongoing racketeering trial of Sean Combs, a high-profile figure in the music industry. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and the episode provides an in-depth look into the testimonies and legal strategies shaping the case.

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Courtroom Dynamics and Media Coverage

Andrea opens the episode by addressing common questions surrounding the trial, such as the absence of courtroom cameras and the specific charges brought against Combs.

Andrea Canning [00:34]:
"Prosecutors began week two of presenting their case with testimony from Dawn Richard, who a singer and songwriter who worked for Combs and says she witnessed multiple acts of violence by him toward his then girlfriend, Cassie Ventura."

NBC News correspondent Chloe Meloss provides expert insights into the courtroom proceedings from outside the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

Chloe Meloss [01:46]:
"When it comes to federal courtrooms, this has been a rule since the 1940s. Judges are really worried about there being this circus-like atmosphere."
(Timestamp: 01:46)

Chloe explains that the prohibition of cameras in federal courtrooms is intended to maintain decorum and prevent media circus effects, differentiating from high-profile state cases like Johnny Depp or O.J. Simpson.

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Charges and Legal Nuances

A significant portion of the episode discusses why Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy rather than specific allegations of rape or domestic violence.

Chloe Meloss [02:40]:
"A sex crime can be federal in some circumstances... for instance, if it happened on federal property or involves interstate commerce."
(Timestamp: 02:40)

She further elaborates on the complexities of prosecuting past domestic violence incidents, citing the statute of limitations as a barrier for older cases.

Chloe Meloss [03:17]:
"The brutal beating of Cassie Ventura from 2016... the statute of limitations had passed, so they wouldn't be investigating that or prosecuting it."
(Timestamp: 03:17)

Regarding the 2018 alleged rape, Chloe notes the possibility of prosecution in California but highlights the lack of immediate action due to insufficient evidence at the time.

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Dawn Richard’s Testimony

Dawn Richard, a notable singer and former collaborator of Combs, takes the stand to provide firsthand accounts of alleged violence.

Chloe Meloss [05:03]:
"She was on a show that Combs created on MTV called Making the Band... she was chosen by Combs to be in a girl group called Danity Kane."
(Timestamp: 05:03)

Richard alleges witnessing multiple assaults by Combs towards Cassie Ventura, including an infamous "egg skillet incident."

Chloe Meloss [05:57]:
"She heard a banging sound and thinks he threw the skillet against the wall... she saw him pick up the skillet, throw eggs at her, and then put the skillet back down."
(Timestamp: 05:57)

When confronted by Combs' attorney, Nicole Westmoreland, about inconsistencies in her statements, Richard maintains her testimony's credibility, asserting that repressed memories are resurfacing.

Chloe Meloss [06:06]:
"Dawn Richard maintains that she's telling the truth, that these are memories that she has tried to erase, and that the more she talks about it, the more she remembers."
(Timestamp: 06:06)

Richard also addresses why she never reported the violence, citing fear for her career and personal safety.

Chloe Meloss [07:16]:
"She was worried not only for her career but that Combs could kill her."
(Timestamp: 07:16)

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Testimony from Cassie’s Best Friend and Combs’s Assistant

The prosecution brings forward additional witnesses to strengthen their case against Combs.

Kerry Morgan’s Testimony

Kerry Morgan, Cassie’s best friend and Combs’ personal assistant, testifies under duress, revealing past assaults by Combs.

Chloe Meloss [10:00]:
"She says that Combs assaulted her and choked her, left bruising marks on her neck and also attacked her with a clothes hanger."
(Timestamp: 10:00)

Morgan details the financial control Combs exerted over Cassie, aligning with her previous testimony about the difficulty in escaping the abusive relationship.

Chloe Meloss [10:28]:
"Combs bankrolled Cassie's entire life... he had this monetary hold over her."
(Timestamp: 10:28)

David James’s Emotional Testimony

David James, Combs' personal assistant, provides an emotional account of working under Combs’ demanding and controlling environment.

Chloe Meloss [10:51]:
"Almost immediately when he took the stand, he was crying... he talked about what it was like to be an assistant for Combs."
(Timestamp: 10:51)

James describes the exploitative nature of his employment, echoing the indictment's allegations of forced labor and toxic workplace practices.

David James [11:22]:
"This is Mr. Combs' kingdom, and we are all here to serve in it."
(Timestamp: 11:22)

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Legal Strategies and Courtroom Tensions

The episode highlights the contentious exchanges between Combs’ defense team and the prosecution, particularly over the admissibility and reliability of witness testimonies.

Chloe Meloss [11:57]:
"There was a heated back and forth between Combs' defense team and New York prosecutors over hearsay."
(Timestamp: 11:57)

Combs’ lead attorney, Mark Agnifolo, expresses concern that the trial could devolve into a session of unverified accusations, prompting the judge to caution against the case turning into mere gossip.

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Looking Ahead: Future Testimonies and Developments

Andrea and Chloe speculate on upcoming testimonies and potential witnesses that could further influence the trial’s outcome.

Chloe Meloss [12:34]:
"We could see David James back on the stand. We could see Cassie's own mother testify."
(Timestamp: 12:34)

There is anticipation surrounding the possibility of more intimate and revealing testimonies as the trial progresses.

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Conclusion

Andrea Canning wraps up the episode by emphasizing the ongoing nature of the trial and directing listeners to additional resources for updates.

Andrea Canning [13:29]:
"For the latest developments and analysis from inside the courtroom, check out the NBC newsletter. Diddy on trial."
(Timestamp: 13:29)

Produced by Franny Kelly and the Dateline True Crime Weekly team, this episode offers a comprehensive and compelling exploration of the Sean Combs racketeering trial, shedding light on the intricate web of testimonies and legal maneuverings shaping this high-stakes case.

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Notable Quotes

• Chloe Meloss [01:46]:
  "Judges are really worried about there being this circus-like atmosphere."

• Chloe Meloss [05:57]:
  "She saw him pick up the skillet, throw eggs at her, and then put the skillet back down."

• David James [11:22]:
  "This is Mr. Combs' kingdom, and we are all here to serve in it."

• Andrea Canning [13:29]:
  "For the latest developments and analysis from inside the courtroom, check out the NBC newsletter."

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Key Takeaways

• Legal Boundaries: The trial's federal jurisdiction limits the charges to racketeering, complicating the prosecution of specific personal crimes like assault or rape.

• Impact of Testimonies: Witnesses like Dawn Richard and Kerry Morgan provide critical insights into the alleged abusive behavior of Sean Combs, highlighting both the personal and professional manipulations within his sphere.

• Emotional Toll: Testimonies from individuals close to the case reveal the emotional and psychological impact of Combs' actions, adding depth to the legal narrative.

• Future Proceedings: The trial is poised to continue unraveling more testimonies, potentially bringing family members and additional insiders to the stand, which could further illuminate the extent of the alleged misconduct.

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For those interested in the intricate details of the Sean Combs trial and the unfolding true crime narrative, this episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly offers an essential and insightful listen.

Transcript

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[Andrea Canning]

This is ON Trial, a special series from DATELINE True Crime Weekly bringing you daily coverage from the Sean Combs racketeering trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. I'm Andrea Canning. And it's Monday, May 19th. Just a heads up, in this episode, we're going to be talking about some graphic details and harrowing subject matter. Prosecutors began week two of presenting their case with testimony from Dawn Richard, who a singer and songwriter who worked for Combs and says she witnessed multiple acts of violence by him toward his then girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. We'll get to Richard's testimony and what the defense had to say about it in a minute. But first we wanted to talk about a couple of questions we're hearing a lot of people ask about this trial. Why are there not cameras in the courtroom? And why isn't Combs criminally charged for all this alleged violence and sexual assault? As always, NBC News correspondent Chloe Meloss joins me from right outside the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan to get us to speed. Hey, Chloe.

[Chloe Meloss]

Hey, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so Chloe, we know this from covering lots of trials, but some people don't remind us why we cannot televise Sean Combs's trial.

[Chloe Meloss]

When it comes to federal courtrooms. This has been a rule since the 1940s. Judges are really worried about there being this circus like atmosphere. And they're also concerned that the flashes and the cameras and all of this could intimidate witnesses.

[Andrea Canning]

People over the years have tried to change this rule, but no luck.

[Chloe Meloss]

Correct. And a lot of my mom friends, they've pointed to Johnny Depp or they've pointed to O.J. simpson. Those are state cases. This is federal. Totally different. And I understand the interest here, but it's just not something that the judge would allow to happen.

[Andrea Canning]

That's why we have court sketches and we have you, Chloe.

[Chloe Meloss]

Exactly.

[Andrea Canning]

All right. So let's talk about this other question, why Combs is charged with this racketeering conspiracy and all that goes along with that, but not the alleged rape that Cassie testified to last week or any of the alleged domestic violence we've been hearing about from other witnesses.

[Chloe Meloss]

It is such a good question and something that journalists, we've all been talking about behind the scenes. And when you're seeing rape and you're seeing, you know, domestic violence cases, that's usually brought by the state. That's not a rule. It's not hard and fast. And look, a sex crime can be federal in some circumstances. For instance, if it happened on federal property like a national park, or it happened, let's say, in a plane in the air, or if it's involving the Internet. Now, sex trafficking, it's different. This is a federal offense because it's the act of interstate commerce in moving people across state lines or even internationally.

[Andrea Canning]

Since Combs defense team has said he admits to some acts of domestic violence against Cassie in the past, could we see any charges down the road?

[Chloe Meloss]

Potentially, something called a statute of limitations has come into play. So, for instance, the brutal beating of Cassie Ventura from 2016 that CNN originally published, the LA County District Attorney's office released a statement on Facebook saying the statute of limitations had passed, so they wouldn't be investigating that or prosecuting it.

[Andrea Canning]

Chloe, what about the rape that Cassie alleges that was 2018, which is more recent? Could that possibly be prosecuted in California?

[Chloe Meloss]

It absolutely can be prosecuted in California. The Los Angeles da, they haven't said anything publicly. We have no idea if they're investigating this, if now Cassie is talking to them. But it's complicated, right? I mean, she technically talked to authorities when they showed up to her house, but she never named Combs at the time, and she never went to the hospital. There's no rape kit. But you're right, Andrea, that is something that could come into play at a later date.

[Andrea Canning]

All right, Chloe, let's dive into today's testimony as we set off the top. It's Dawn Richard who is taking the stand, and she is a big name in the music world. What else can you tell us about her? And you know why she's involved in this?

[Chloe Meloss]

She was on a show that Combs created on MTV called Making the Band, and It's from the mid 2000s. And she was chosen by Combs she to be in a girl group called Danity Kane, and they had several hits. And then she ended up being in another band with Diddy called Diddy Dirty Money. So she hasn't worked with Combs since 2011, and she's continued to release music, but not at that level.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so she really comes into play because of something that she says she witnessed between Sean Combs and Cassie.

[Chloe Meloss]

So Cassie files her civil suit in November of 2023, blowing the lid off all of this and coming public with all of these different allegations. And then you saw Dawn Richard file her own civil suit in September of 2024. And she says that she witnessed violence, that Combs attacked Cassie on more than one occasion when she was there, punching her in the stomach. And then this egg skillet incident that Combs attempted to hit Ventura over the head when he wasn't happy with how she was cooling off his eggs one morning.

[Andrea Canning]

Ouch.

[Chloe Meloss]

At the time that Richard filed her civil suit, Combs team had said that she, quote, manufactured her claims to get a payday and that her suit was timed to coincide with an album release.

[Andrea Canning]

This civil suit from Rashard is still pending. So she talked about that egg skillet incident on the stand. What else did she talk about today?

[Chloe Meloss]

Well, Combs attorney Nicole Westmoreland, she came in there and it was tense. This is not like what we saw last week when Cassie was cross examined today. They brought the receipts. They said you met with government prosecutors eight times and you told a very different story than what you told them just a few weeks ago. And it's also different from your civil suit. You've said that you heard a banging sound and that you think he threw the skillet against the wall. And you've also said that you saw him pick up the skillet, throw eggs at her, and then put the skillet back down. Then they also said, all right, now you're saying that the day after this incident that Combs locked you in a recording studio and basically threatened your life, this was something that you never brought up to prosecutors over the many months of questioning. Why are you saying it now? Quite convenient, isn't it? But Dawn Richard maintains that she's telling the truth, that these are memories that she has tried to erase, and that the more she talks about it, the more she remembers.

[Andrea Canning]

Did Dawn Richard talk about why she never called law enforcement if she was witnessing these acts of violence that she alleges?

[Chloe Meloss]

She says that she was worried not only for her career, that Combs could ruin it, but that she was afraid that Combs could kill her. But again, Combs attorney really went in hard on that accusation and said, well, if you were so scared, why did you continue to reach out to him? And why did you reach out to him as recently as 2021 and 2022, asking for him to either sign you as a solo artist or get the band back together? And Combs legal team. They ended it with this kind of mic drop moment saying, this is all about money, isn't it? And she said, no, this is about justice. And they said, right, but justice means money for you. All right.

[Andrea Canning]

This afternoon, the prosecution began to call witnesses who are not celebrities but speakers. Spent years in Sean Combs's world. Testimony from Cassie's best friend and Sean Combs's personal assistant. Up next.

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[Andrea Canning]

Chloe the prosecution's next witness was a woman by the name of Kerry Morgan. She told the jury that she was testifying only because she was subpoenaed, which is, you know, pretty dramatic. That she's there not really by choice.

[Chloe Meloss]

Exactly. I mean, this is a woman that was best friends with Cassie and she says that Combs assault assaulted her and choked her, left bruising marks on her neck and also attacked her with a clothes hanger and that Combs actually paid her $30,000 and that she signed an NDA. And since that day, she hasn't seen Cassie and she hasn't seen Combs.

[Andrea Canning]

Harry Morgan said something interesting about why she thinks Cassie stayed with Combs.

[Chloe Meloss]

She said that first of all, Combs bankrolled Cassie's entire life. He paid for her car, he paid for her apartment, and he had this monetary hold over her. And that's what Cassie testified to last week, that she just felt like there was no way out.

[Andrea Canning]

CHLOE the prosecution then called a man named David James, who was Sean Combs personal assistant.

[Chloe Meloss]

Something that really stood out to me is that almost immediately when he took the stand, he was crying. And I'm sure that this is just really overwhelming for him to not only face calms, but to be on such a large stage, even though there aren't cameras in the courtroom, to now have his name out there publicly. And he talked about what it was like to be an assistant for Combs. And that's probably gonna be fascinating to people that he had to wake up before Diddy was awake and, you know, he was with him till 3, 4am.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah, something he said that was so interesting. This is Mr. Combs kingdom, and we are all here to serve in it.

[Chloe Meloss]

And don't forget that in this indictment, they talk about forced labor. They talk about the hours and the toxic workplace and having employees carry out illegal activity, which is something that we haven't gotten to yet with him, if at all.

[Andrea Canning]

He said some of the same things, similar to Carey Morgan about the control that Combs had over Cassie as far as finances and so intertwined in her life, it was hard for her to.

[Chloe Meloss]

Break away from that before court even started today. ANDREA There was a heated back and forth between Combs defense team and New York prosecutors over hearsay. How much can these assistants and employees testify to? The prosecutors are trying to get them to talk about all sorts of different things that happened. And Combs lead attorney Mark Agnifolo said, I'm just worried that this is going to turn into a free for all of bad acts. And at one point, the judge saying that he didn't want this to turn into a case based on gossip.

[Andrea Canning]

Who can we expect tomorrow? Is it more of David James?

[Chloe Meloss]

CHLOE Exactly. We'll see David James back on the stand. We could see Cassie's own mother testify. I mean, unless Cassie's giving birth and she's at the hospital and they move her testimony.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, Chloe, thank you so much for your insight from today. And thanks to everyone for listening. We'll be back with a new episode tomorrow evening. And if you want to check out the latest developments and analysis from inside the courtroom, check out the NBC newsletter. Diddy on trial go to nbcnews.com diddy to find that On Trial is produced by Franny Kelly with help from the Dateline True Crime Weekly team. Our senior producers are Allison Orr and Liz Brown Karloff. Original Music by Jesse McGinty. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer of Dateline.

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