Ex-employee says Diddy threatened to 'go kill' Kid Cudi

Summary

Diddy On Trial: Ex-Employee Says Diddy Threatened to 'Go Kill' Kid Cudi
BBC Sounds, Hosted by Anushka Mutandadi
Release Date: May 28, 2025

---

Introduction to the Trial

In the third week of Sean "Diddy" Combs' high-profile trial at the Southern District Court in Lower Manhattan, New York, tensions remain high as the prosecution continues to present a compelling case against one of hip-hop's most influential figures. Diddy stands accused of sex trafficking, racketeering with conspiracy, and transportation for prostitution—charges he has consistently denied. Anushka Mutandadi, the host, provides a detailed account of the unfolding proceedings, emphasizing the sustained public interest and the presence of numerous individuals seeking glimpses of the courtroom drama.

Key Points:

• Charges Faced by Diddy: Sex trafficking, racketeering with conspiracy, and transportation for prostitution.
• Trial Progress: In week three, with 60 witnesses already testifying, including former partners, assistants, FBI agents, and artists from Diddy's Bad Boy Records.
• Public Interest: Continuous crowd presence outside the courthouse, including individuals involved in civil lawsuits against Diddy.

---

Capricorn Clark's Testimony: A Chronicle of Threats and Intimidation

A pivotal moment in the trial emerged with the testimony of Capricorn Clark, a former employee of Bad Boy Records. Clark's accounts paint a disturbing picture of Diddy's management style, marked by intimidation and coercion.

Initial Threats and Intimidation (01:43): Capricorn Clark detailed her experiences working closely with Diddy from 2004 to 2018. She recounted her terrifying first encounter:

"Even on my first day on the job, Diddy threatened my life over my past work with Suge Knight." (01:43)

Clark explained that Diddy, accompanied by Uncle Paulie, a security officer, took her to Central Park at night after 9 PM. Despite his initially calm demeanor, Diddy expressed extreme anger when Clark failed to disclose her previous affiliations, leading to a threat that left her fearing for her safety.

Interrogation Over Missing Jewelry (03:12): In another harrowing incident from 2004, Clark described being forced to undergo a five-day lie detector test after a batch of diamond jewelry, entrusted to her by Diddy before a flight to Miami, went missing. She was taken to an unfinished building, later becoming Bad Boy's headquarters, where she faced a menacing man:

"He threatened to throw me in the East River if I failed the test." (03:12)

The Miami Home Incident and Resignation (04:22): In the summer of 2006, Clark recounted an incident at Diddy's Miami home in Star Island:

"Diddy was furious with me for taking too long on an errand. When I complained, he charged at me, pushing me hard and telling me to get the F out of his house." (06:15)

This confrontation marked the first time Clark left her position with Diddy, highlighting a boundary that, once crossed, forced her to reconsider her working relationship. Despite this, she eventually returned to working with Diddy, driven by personal circumstances.

---

The Kid Cudi Incident: Allegations of Arson and Assault

A significant focus of the trial revolves around allegations involving the rapper Kid Cudi. Capricorn Clark provided a detailed account of Diddy's purported attempt to harm Cudi, linking it to broader charges under the RICO Act.

Diddy's Threat to Kid Cudi (04:32): Clark described a dramatic scenario where Diddy, enraged by Cassie's involvement with Kid Cudi, orchestrated a plan to harm Cudi:

"Diddy came charging at Kid Cudi's house with a gun, demanding that we come with him to kill Cudi." (04:32)

Accompanied by his security guard, Diddy and Clark entered Cudi's Los Angeles residence. Meanwhile, Clark, fearing for her life, used a burner phone to alert Cassie:

"Cassie, Diddy has me with a gun and he's breaking into Cudi's house to kill him." (04:32)

Assault on Cassie (06:21): Following the incident, Clark witnessed Diddy assaulting Cassie:

"Diddy kept kicking Cassie over and over, and no one intervened. She was in a fetal position, silently weeping." (06:21)

Clark felt powerless to stop the abuse but took action by contacting Cassie's mother:

"I told her to call the police because Diddy was beating your daughter." (06:21)

---

Email Evidence and RICO Charges

The prosecution has strategically utilized email correspondence to strengthen their case under the RICO Act, which necessitates proving that Diddy operated a criminal enterprise committing multiple offenses over a decade.

December 2011 Email and Coercion (07:12): Clark presented a crucial December 2011 email from Cassie, sent just before the alleged arson of her vehicle, in which Cassie detailed threats from Diddy. This email serves as circumstantial evidence tying Diddy to coercive tactics intended to control Cassie's actions and silence her.

Prosecutors' Strategy (07:12 - 08:15): By reinforcing the content of this email, prosecutors aim to demonstrate a pattern of coercion and intimidation, essential for establishing the RICO elements. Clark's testimony about the threats Cassie endured underscores the systemic nature of Diddy's alleged criminal activities.

---

Insights from Rolling Stone's Cheyenne Roundtree

Outside the courtroom, Cheyenne Roundtree from Rolling Stone provided additional context and analysis on the trial's developments.

Control Over Cassie's Career (08:55): Roundtree highlighted how prosecutors argue that Diddy exerted substantial control over Cassie's professional life:

"Prosecutors have stated that much of Cassie's career was controlled and restricted by Combs." (08:55)

Arson Investigation Linked to the Trial (09:28): The discussion shifted to the 2016 arson incident involving Cassie's vehicle. Clark received a call from the Los Angeles Fire Department regarding the investigation but chose to disengage:

"I just wanted it to be over with all the drama between Sean and Cassie." (09:28)

Email Exchanges as Evidence of Desperation (10:03): Capricorn's emotional emails pleaded for forgiveness and a return to normalcy within the music industry, revealing her entanglement in Diddy's influence:

"I just wanted my life back. I just wanted to work in the music industry." (10:03)

Blacklisting and Job Market Manipulation (12:11): Clark described efforts by Diddy and his associates to thwart her employment opportunities elsewhere. Instances included being followed at talent agencies and receiving misleading job opportunities that served as warnings rather than genuine offers:

"I felt that I was literally blacklisted from institutions where I previously had relationships." (12:11)

---

Prosecution's Reinforcement of the Case

During cross-examinations, the prosecution consistently reinforced the narrative of Diddy's pervasive control and manipulation within his enterprise.

Re-establishing Diddy and Cassie's Relationship (12:37): Prosecutors emphasized the intertwined professional and personal relationships between Diddy and Cassie:

"Cassie had to get approval for her look, her song releases, her career decisions—all through Combs." (12:47)

Impact on Cassie's Career Trajectory (12:47): Cassie's artistic output and public image were tightly controlled, with Diddy wielding significant influence over her career milestones:

"If they were fighting, photo shoots would be taken away, music videos would be withheld until terms improved." (12:47)

---

Conclusion and Ongoing Proceedings

As the episode concludes, the gravity of the allegations against Diddy remains pronounced, with the prosecution meticulously building a case that portrays a consistent pattern of intimidation, control, and criminal activity spanning over a decade. The integration of Capricorn Clark's testimony with corroborative evidence from emails and witness accounts reinforces the prosecution's stance under the RICO Act.

Looking Ahead: The trial continues to unfold, with upcoming episodes expected to delve deeper into additional testimonies and evidence, further illuminating the complex and controversial nature of Sean "Diddy" Combs' professional and personal conduct.

---

Notable Quotes:

• "Even on my first day on the job, Diddy threatened my life over my past work with Suge Knight." – Capricorn Clark (01:43)
• "He threatened to throw me in the East River if I failed the test." – Capricorn Clark (03:12)
• "Diddy was furious with me for taking too long on an errand." – Capricorn Clark (06:15)
• "Diddy has me with a gun and he's breaking into Cudi's house to kill him." – Capricorn Clark (04:32)
• "Later, Diddy kept kicking Cassie over and over, and no one intervened." – Capricorn Clark (06:21)
• "I just wanted my life back. I just wanted to work in the music industry." – Capricorn Clark (10:03)
• "I felt that I was literally blacklisted from institutions where I previously had relationships." – Capricorn Clark (12:11)

---

For those seeking support or more information about the issues discussed in this episode, visit BBC.co.uk/actionline.

Transcript

[Rylan]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Expedia Ad]

Trip Planner by Expedia. You were made to have strong opinions about sand. We were made to help you and your friends find a place on the beach with a pool and a marina and a waterfall and a soaking tub. Expedia Made to Travel.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts. Hello, you're listening to Diddy on Trial from BBC Sounds. With me, Anushka Mutandadi. Just a warning. This episode contains descriptions of violence. Now it's 2pm and I'm back outside the Southern District Court in Lower Manhattan, New York. It's week three in the trial of Sean Diddy Combs. He's on trial for charges of sex trafficking, racketeering with conspiracy and transportation for prostitute. These are charges he's always denied. Now, you might be thinking start of the week is Tuesday. Well, we've had an American public holiday here, Memorial Day over the weekend. So court has been paused since the end of Thursday. But there are no signs that interest in the case is waning. Just like in the first two weeks, there are loads of people here trying to get a glimpse of the action, including some who have civil lawsuits against Diddy who've been making their presence known outside court. Now, ahead of today's proceedings, the jury had heard testimony from a total of 60 witnesses, including from former partners, former assistants, FBI agents and former artists under Diddy's record label. Today, one more person has been added to that list. I'm here with the BBC's New York correspondent, Neda Talfi. Neda, today we heard from Capricorn Clark, a former employee of Bad Boy.

[Neda Talfi]

Yeah, well, she is somebody who worked with Diddy on and off between 2004 and 2018. So in 2004, she started off as his personal assistant and then kind of through the years, ultimately became his global brand director. But she started off talking about how even on her first day on the job, Diddy threatened her life. She had come to him after working at Def Jam and Death Row Records and basically, you know, Combs and Uncle Paulie, a security officer who worked with him, who we've heard a lot about as well, took her to Central park at night after 9pm and apparently he had a very cool demeanor. Did he? And apparently he threatened to kill her over her her past work with his rival Suge Knight. And he was furious that she didn't disclose it. And she said she continued working with him despite that very scary incident because she felt she could have been more transparent with him. But then just a few months later, she describes another incident in 2004. She said she was handed some diamond jewelry from Diddy before he took off to a flight to Miami. And soon afterward, the jewelry went missing. And eventually, after a security guard searched her home, she was taken to an unfamiliar building. Think of a building that's, you know, not finished, very empty. Now, eventually the building would become the headquarters for Bad Boy, but she describes it as completely desolate with this 6 foot long folding table and a man seated there. She kind of gestured who was five times her size, and she said he was chain smoking, drinking coffee. And over a five day stretch, she was subjected to a lie detector test to see if she had taken the jewelry. And the man told her apparently, that if she failed the test, they were going to throw her in the East River. So she's going through incident after incident where she describes kind of feeling threatened another one. In the summer of 2006, she says she was with Diddy at his Miami home in Star Island. Again, a home we've heard a lot about. And apparently he was mad at her for taking too long on an errand. And then the following day she complained, saying she hated it there to one of his chefs. And the chef actually went and told Diddy what she said. And apparently he came charging at her, running, pushing her with full force and telling her that if she hated it there to get the F out of his house. And that was the first time she actually left working for him. She said that that had kind of crossed one of her boundaries. But eventually she did return and start working with Diddy again.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

One of the main things that we were expecting from Capricorn was some commentary around what kid Cudi has alleged happened with the arson of his vehicle. What did she have to say about what went down?

[Neda Talfi]

She talks about how Diddy was just furious when he found out that Cassie had been seeing Cudi. And even though in their entire time working together he had never been to her apartment, he came banging on her door and demanded that she get dressed and come with him because he said, we're going to kill Cuddy, had a gun in his hand. She said that she didn't want to go, but he said, I don't care what you want, you're going to come. And she describes how they rode in a black Cadillac to Cuddy's home in Los Angeles, where Diddy and his security guard entered Cuddy's residence while she sat in the car. And she said she had a burner phone and she called Cassie on it, and she said To Cassie, Diddy has me with a gun and he's breaking into Cudi's house to kill him. And Clark said she could hear Cudi in the background saying, he's in my house. And she told Cassie, you know, don't let him come. He's going to get himself killed. So she later describes how Combs returned to the vehicle and asked her who she was talking to and that he was furious to find out she had been talking to Cassie. And so he kind of called Cassie back on that phone. And she talks about how also Cuddy, she remembers his vehicle coming up the road and how Combs and his bodyguard were chasing after him in the black Cadillac, but finally gave up when they saw police cars. And she says that's when Diddy caught himself and kind of composed himself. But afterwards she says that Diddy basically told her and Cassie that they have to convince Cuddy, not to mention it was him, not to kind of convince him he had nothing to do with it, threatening them if they didn't successfully do that.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

And she spoke about an assault that Cassie. She says that he assaulted her afterwards as well.

[Neda Talfi]

Yeah, that's right. She talks about how later Diddy, with his full force kept kicking Cassie over and over, that nobody there would intervene. And she describes how Cassie was kind of in a fetal position, silently kind of weeping, and she felt helpless. Eventually she left, but she called Cassie's mother and said, look, I can't do anything, but you can call the police. You know, he's beating your daughter.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

We've kind of heard that before about the fetal position and Cassie dropping it down into it from Dawn Richard. We've also heard about Cassie's mum being made aware of this. And Capricorn comes into this again. We have that same December 2011 email that was sent just before the alleged arson about Cassie saying that she was being threatened by Diddy. And Capricorn had to read that out in court today.

[Neda Talfi]

Yeah, and look, it's also prosecutors reinforcing this email to the jury. Right. Each time. Because when we look at the RICO charges you have as part of it, they have to show that this was a criminal enterprise that committed at least two crimes over a 10 year span. And one of those alleged crimes is arson, which is why there's so much focus around the Kid Cudi episode. And what Capricorn does here is she gives more of that kind of circumstantial evidence to the jury to try to help them believe that this really did occur. And prosecutors are hoping, you know, common sense Will show them that this was Diddy who was involved in this. He was the one who directed it all. So that's really key to the kind of RICO side of things. And also the email. Right. This idea of coercion being part of this, the threats Cassie was under, fearing for her life. The email as well, about the blackmail in it, there's so much that Capricorn kind of ties in. So she's just another important witness in that sense for prosecutors to try to prove their case.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

Well, I'm gonna go and try and catch the rest of the cross examination. Thank you so much, Neda.

[Neda Talfi]

My pleasure.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

Okay, so it's 3:58. We're back outside the courtroom. We just had a cross examination and redirect of Capricorn Clark. And I'm with a familiar face, Shane Roundtree from Rolling Stone. She's Rolling Stone's senior Investigative report is going to break down what happened for us. Hi again, Cheyenne.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Hi.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

So I caught the beginning of cross a little bit earlier and then when I came out, they were talking about Cassie and they spoke about the kind of business situations that Diddy was setting up for her and other talent she was working with.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Yeah, I think prosecutors have said that a lot of Cassie's career was controlled by Combs and also restricted. And Capricorn spoke about what she observed as what was available to her at that time. When she was at Bad Voices, they said that she had all the access and all of Bad Boy's weight was put behind her at one point, just kind of speaking to this idea that there was a lot of resources on the table for her.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

But then they kind of went into talking about the incident after the alleged arson and specifically about a fire investigator contacting Capricorn.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Yeah, so Capricorn said that in summer of 2016, she received a call from someone with the Los Angeles Fire Department that was investigating an arson. And Capricorn said she just hung up the phone. Capricorn said that she just wanted it to be over and the drama and kind of that period with Sean and Cassie.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

But they question her on that again and then they bring up email evidence from 2014, 2015, 2016 of her reaching out to Diddy, saying, you know, I'm sorry, hopefully you've forgiven me. And it culminates in this last email they put up. What was the contents of the email.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Over the years, Capricorn reached back out to Combs and this is idea of begging for forgiveness for what happened between Cassie and Kid Cudi. And this last email, you know, Capricorn was really, really emotional, and she was saying that she just wanted her life back. She just wanted to work in the music industry. And she referenced some earlier points in 2012 where she felt like she couldn't get a job, but that's why she explained that she went back in 2016 and to work for Cassie again. That's where she felt like was her only option to work in this industry. Capricorn said, at this level of business, he held all the power as it related to me. So that's why she kept going back to work for him.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

But in one of the emails, you got a bit of a clearer view into her understanding of her relationship with Cassie. And she kept saying, well, it's clear that she didn't want me here. And I know now that she's not my friend, she being Cassie. And they question her about that and say, well, was Cassie the only reason you came back because Cassie wanted to work with you again?

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Yeah, she said that she was ultimately hired back in 2016 and 2018 because she said, quote, combs did what Cassie wanted and Cassie wanted me back. And it hurt her feelings that she had a relationship with Combs even before all of this. And the only way that she was coming back to work after she couldn't work was because Cassie said, okay, she can come back now, or I want her to work for me or work with me.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

She also said that she felt like she was Diddy's kind of protector. At one point, I think she kind.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Of explained it, that she did a really good job and she was working towards a common goal that Combs had and everyone at Bad Boy had was to make him successful, to be part of a successful, thriving business.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

And when they were saying to her, why did you keep coming back? She also clarified what her personal situation was.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Yeah, she said that she has a son who has autism, and she says that she needed to provide for herself and for her son, and she couldn't find work, she says, anywhere but for Combs.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

But she also gave some specific examples of particular incidents where she said that Diddy had made his presence known when she was looking for other places to work.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Yeah, she said that she showed up at caa, which is a talent agency, and she said that Combs and Andre Harrell, his mentor, followed her around. She said that she had a meeting at Interscope, which she thought was for job opportunities, and she said no job came of it, but it was more of a warning. So she felt that she was literally blacklisted from these institutions where she previously had relationships with and then we had redirect.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

So prosecution come back on, clarify some of the points that were made by the defense or pick back up on them. They just wanted to re establish the working relationship between Diddy and Cassie.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

I mean, prosecutors again established that Cassie had to get approval for her look, her song release, her career, what photo shoots she was doing, all through combs. And if they were fighting, photo shoots would be taken away, music videos would be taken away and ultimately given back when they were on better terms.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

Shen, thank you so much.

[Cheyenne Roundtree]

Thank you. See you tomorrow.

[Anushka Mutandadi]

Well, that's it from this episode of Diddy on Trial from BBC Sounds. Make sure you turn on your push notifications so you never miss a thing. And if you've been affected by any of the issues in this program and would like Support, go to BBC.co.uk actionline.

[Rylan]

Hi, guys, this is Rylan and I'm here to tell you about how to Be In Love from BBC Sounds. Now, as a single divorcee, I feel ready to find love again. But I want to see if there's a better way of going about it. In this series, I'm going to sit down with 12 incredible guests who are really going to help me rediscover what love truly means and how I can find it again. People like Stephen Fry, Louis Theroux, Matt and Emma Willis and many more. So join me on this journey as I explore how to be in love. Listen on BBC Sounds.