Drake, RICO, and a Messy New Year

Summary

The Breakfast Club: “Drake, RICO, and a Messy New Year”

Date: January 2, 2026
Host: Lauren LaRosa (from Ghana; pop culture correspondent for The Breakfast Club)
Featured Segments: Class-action RICO lawsuit against Drake and the Stake gambling platform, Kid Cudi’s testimony in the Diddy court case, reflections on New Year’s Eve with Bozoma Saint John in Ghana

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Breakfast Club features Lauren LaRosa broadcasting from Ghana, delivering breaking news on a federal civil RICO lawsuit involving Drake, the gambling platform Stake, and Aiden Ross. She also recaps significant courtroom testimony from Kid Cudi in a high-profile Diddy-related case, and ends on a positive note with highlights from a festive New Year’s Eve spent in Ghana with Bozoma Saint John and friends. The episode blends major legal drama from the music and influencer world with LaRosa’s trademark conversational delivery and cultural insights.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. New Year Energy and Ghana Highlights

• [03:03–04:54] Lauren shares her excitement about celebrating New Year’s in Ghana, promising positive vibes for 2026.
• She mentions attending a dinner with Bozoma Saint John (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) and her fiancé Keely.
• Teases that Bozoma’s inspiring New Year’s toast will close the episode.

“We had a great night last night behind the scenes of the grind… 2026 is going to be a great year and we kicked it off with some really great energy.”
— Lauren LaRosa, [03:18]

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2. Breaking News: Federal Civil RICO Lawsuit Against Drake & Stake

• [04:54–09:50] Lauren breaks down a newly filed, 22-page federal civil RICO case (filed on New Year’s Eve out of Virginia) targeting:
  • Drake
  • Stake (online gambling platform)
  • Aiden Ross (streamer)
  • George Nguyen (sp?)

Allegations:

• Stake allegedly provides house money to celebrities (Drake, Aiden Ross), misleading the public into thinking they're gambling and winning with their own funds.
• Two female plaintiffs claim Drake used Stake's encrypted tipping feature to transfer money, which then financed bot-farms to artificially inflate his music streaming numbers.
• The class-action suit claims:
  • Drake/Aiden/George used Stake’s tipping to funnel money to inflate stream counts on platforms like Spotify.
  • Artificial streams “mislead royalty and recommendation engines” to manufacture popularity and suppress competitors.
  • Concealed money flows, “inside trader situation.”

Notable Details:

• Lauren draws ironic parallels between the lawsuit’s accusations and what Drake has previously accused others (UMG/Kendrick Lamar) of doing.
• While there have been prior lawsuits about Stake’s gambling fairness, this is the first to tie fraudulent streaming and monetary concealment via the platform.

“At the heart of the scheme, Drake, acting directly and through willing and knowledgeable co-conspirators, has deployed automated bots and streaming farms to artificially inflate play counts of his music across major platforms…”
— Lauren LaRosa reading lawsuit text, [07:10]

“Everything that he accused Kendrick Lamar and Universal Music Group of doing for Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us,’ there are these two women who are saying… that’s what Drake’s doing.”
— Lauren LaRosa, [08:13]

Current Status:

• No comment yet from Drake’s team; Lauren reached out and will update if a statement is released.

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3. Ghana Celebration Recap & Bozoma Saint John’s Toast

• [09:50–10:20] Lauren pivots the mood and returns to New Year positivity.
• She highlights the ESSENCE-covered tradition of the “big return” to Ghana and Bozoma Saint John’s heartfelt dinner toast.

“Before we kicked off our New Year’s Eve dinner and before the fireworks happened here in Ghana, [Bozoma] gave an amazing speech just about the table that she brought together to bring into the year…”
— Lauren LaRosa, [09:57]

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4. Kid Cudi Takes the Stand: Diddy Courtroom Drama

• [15:20–32:50] Lauren delivers an in-depth recap (from her SUV post-court) of Kid Cudi’s testimony as a prosecution witness in a trial involving Diddy, Cassie, and allegations of arson/intimidation.

Testimony Highlights:

• Background: Kid Cudi and Cassie briefly dated in 2011; she told him her relationship with Diddy had ended.
• Alleged December 2011 Incident: Kid Cudi’s house was broken into; he received a distressed call from Cassie, who said Diddy was furious about their relationship and planned to show up at his house.
  • Kid Cudi’s observations:
    • Cameras were angled away from the door (suggesting intentional misdirection).
    • Gifts rifled through; dog locked in bathroom; dog later traumatized.
• Further Escalation: On New Year’s Day 2012, Kid Cudi’s Porsche was set on fire (Molotov cocktail, slash in the convertible roof).
• Sitting Down with Diddy & Cassie: They met at Soho House; Diddy had a strikingly calm (“supervillain”) demeanor.
  • Diddy denied knowledge of arson: “I don’t know what you’re talking about” ([29:10]).
  • Eventually apologized years later for drama.
• Cross-Examination Points:
  • Suggestion DNA/fingerprint evidence from the car pointed to a woman, not Diddy (cross’s “mic drop” [31:17]).
  • Cassie had a burner phone to hide communication from Diddy; defense tries to frame Cassie as playing both men.

Key Quotes & Moments:

“He alleges that when he got to his home, the cameras had been… angled away from the door, so they didn’t capture anything.”
— Lauren LaRosa, [17:58]

“He describes Diddy standing at the window with his hands behind his back like he was a superhero, like a Marvel supervillain.”
— Lauren LaRosa, [28:32]

“Brian still leaves with a mic drop: ‘She played both of y’all, right?’ And [Kid Cudi] was like, ‘Right.’ And that was it. That was all.”
— Lauren LaRosa, [31:17]

• Lauren presents both sides—prosecution’s reliance on Cudi’s emotional testimony, defense’s highlighting of lack of conclusive physical evidence.

“Me, myself, personally… I don’t know if this paints a picture of an incident that happened for sure. I think it would have been a lot more ‘got him’ on Diddy for the prosecutors if they had been able to say that the DNA evidence came back as his.”
— Lauren LaRosa, [31:41]

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “There was a document, actually 22 pages long. There was a federal civil RICO that was filed on New Year’s Eve… against Drake, Stake… Aiden Ross, and a guy named George Nguyen…”
  — Lauren LaRosa, [04:59]

• “At the heart of the scheme, Drake… has deployed automated bots and streaming farms to artificially inflate play counts of his music across major platforms…”
  — [07:10]

• “Before we kicked off our New Year's Eve dinner… [Bozoma Saint John] gave an amazing speech just about the table that she brought together…”
  — [09:57]

• “Kid Cudi took the stand today… it was very to the point of the alleged arson, a bit of background about the relationship, and then boomed, moved on.”
  — [15:23]

• “He describes Diddy standing… like a Marvel supervillain… everybody in the courtroom, of course, they’re laughing.”
  — [28:32]

• “Brian still leaves with a mic drop of like, ‘she played both of y’all, right?’ And he was like, ‘Right.’ And that was it. That was all.”
  — [31:17]

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Segmented Timestamps

• 03:03–04:54 – Lauren’s Ghana update and New Year’s celebration
• 04:54–09:50 – Breaking down the Drake/Stake RICO lawsuit
• 09:50–10:20 – Bozoma Saint John’s toast and “big return” to Ghana
• 15:20–32:50 – In-depth: Kid Cudi’s testimony, details of the Diddy/Cassie court case, cross-examination
• 31:41–32:53 – Lauren’s perspective on the testimony/strengths and weaknesses of the prosecution/defense
• 32:53–end – Sign-off, call to “tell a friend to tell a friend”

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Summary & Tone

Lauren LaRosa delivers a lively, detail-rich report balancing legal documentation, pop culture context, and reflective commentary. The episode’s tone is conversational and energetic, even as it dives into complicated legal allegations and emotional courtroom drama. Lauren’s trademark openness—combined with a focus on inclusivity and community—makes the episode approachable whether you’re after the courtroom drama, curious about influencer legal woes, or just vibing with Ghanaian New Year’s festivities.

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Conclusion

This episode is a must-listen for listeners seeking:

• The inside story on Drake’s latest legal trouble (and how it intersects with streaming and gambling industries)
• Real-time courtroom reporting from the Diddy trial featuring Kid Cudi’s direct account
• The cultural impact of the “big return” to Ghana and the value of community at New Year’s
• Lauren’s unique blend of investigative journalism and storytelling

Remember:
“You guys could be anywhere with anybody talking about all these things, but y’all choose to be right here with me. And I appreciate you guys, my lowriders.” — Lauren LaRosa, [10:14]

Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Katie Couric]

If you only listen to one thing to make sense of the news this year, make it this the final episode of this season of Next Question pulls together the most important conversations of the year. You'll hear David Graham on Project 2025 L on the plethora of presidential pardons, Tina Brown on the year's biggest scandals here at home and across the pond, plus much, much more. It's a crash course in the last 12 months, how we made it through the year, and a look at what might be coming in 2026. Listen to next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Radhi Devlukya]

Hi, I'm Radhi devlukya and I am the host of a really good Cry podcast. This week I am joined by Anna Runkle, also known as the Crappy Childhood Fairy, a creator, teacher and guide helping people heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods.

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[Dr. Elizabeth Poynter]

Welcome to Decoding Women's Health. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Poynter, Chair of Women's Health and Gynecology at the Atria Health Institute in New York City. I'll be talking to top researchers and clinicians and bringing vital information about midlife women's health directly to you.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Time to do it. I'm the home girl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody.

[Katie Couric]

You know, she don't lie about that, right?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Lauren came in hot. Hey y', all, what's up? It's Lauren the Rosa. And this is the latest with Lauren the Rosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news and all of the conversations that shake the room. So this is episode two from Ghana, not day two. I've been here for some days, but this is the second episode where I'm speaking to you guys from the motherland. And we had a great night last night behind the scenes of the grind. If I'm checking in, New Year's Eve came in. Amazing. 2026 is going to be a great year and we kicked it off with like some really great energy. I told you guys in our last episode. Please go take a listen to our end of the year recap. Episode one, if you haven't already. I told you guys in that episode that we were headed to to a mountain area with Bosma St. John of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and her fiance Keely, who we talked a lot about on the Breakfast Club and she talks a lot about him on the show as well too. But we got a chance to meet her family and just, you know, some amazing people here in Ghana, where she is from and partake in dinner and fireworks as the new year came in. She gave like an amazing toast before we started the dinner and I think it's a great way to kick off. Matter of fact, we're not gonna kick off the episode with it because I think it's very uplifting, very positive and that's how I'm feeling behind the scenes of the grind. But we do got some news we got to get to that's breaking. So let's do that first and then we'll end the episode with Bozma and maybe a Little recap, maybe a little rewind and throw it back to another one of our top 10 episodes from 2025 as we move forward into 2026. Now, breaking news. I just actually reported on this story via X. If you guys, of course, want to follow me on social Media, I'm Lauren LaRosa everywhere. That's L O R E N L O R O S a. So there was a document, it's actually 22 pages long. There was a federal civil RICO that was filed on New Year's Eve. So not everybody's 2026 is coming in as amazing as mine did against Drake Steak, which is the online gambling platform, Aiden Ross, who is a streamer, and a guy named George. A guy named George Nuigen. I'm probably saying his name wrong because y' all know I'm horrible at names. But this class action federal RICO is filed by two women out of Virginia, out of Alexandria, Virginia, who are alleging that Drake and others, the other people named, are using the tipping feature on the Stake website. First of all, they say Steak is just a bunch of BS Anyway. That's what they allege. And they allege that because they feel as though it's not fair that someone like a Drake or Aiden Ross can be given basically house money to then use to make money on the app, making it seem like they're gambling their actual money and winning money. And, you know, but realistically, according to this lawsuit and others filed like this, this is not the first lawsuit claiming that specifically it's not fair because if what these consumers are alleging is happening, you're really not missing out on much because you're not gambling your own money in the beginning. So that's one part of it. But even bigger in this lawsuit specifically, in this class action federal RICO specifically, there are two plaintiffs who say that Drake used a tipping feature to be able to transfer money as money was being made on this, on this gambling website between him and other people mentioned in the lawsuit, which that money was then used to. That money was then used to fund various things that helped to artificially inflate his streaming numbers. So it goes into a lot of detail. So here's exactly how the. Here's exactly how the lawsuit reads. In addition, through stakes tipping function defendants, that's Drake, Aiden Ross and the George Norwegian guy have financed their combined artificial streaming botting to create fraudulent streams of Drake's music, fabricate popularity, disparage competitors and music label executives, distort recommendation algorithms, and distribute financing. For all the foregoing, while concealing the Flow of funds. The filing continues to allege that at the heart of the scheme, Drake, acting directly and through willing and knowledgeable co conspirators, has deployed automated bots and streaming farms to artificially inflate play counts of his music across major platforms such as Spotify. These inauthentic streams, according to this lawsuit, injected via interstate digital pathways, were calibrated to mislead royal loyalty and recommendation engines manufacturer popularity. So basically, everything that he accused Kendrick Lamar of doing, I'm sorry, everything he accused Universal Music Group of doing for Kendrick Lamar is not like us. There are these two women who are saying not only is who are alleging that not only a Steak BS to consumers because you have these influencers and these big celebrities who are using money that isn't even theirs to then gamble and make money and encourage you to come and do it. But on top of that, there's money being transferred within the app, which is encrypted. And it's, you know, encrypted in a way where it's not knowledgeable to people that are not inside. Like the. It's an inside trader situation where they're able to transfer money between each other, which is disclosed. Those transfers are then used to set up these bot farms and all these like, you know, machines and engines to then inflate numbers according to them. And allegedly of Drake's music, again, this is not the first class action lawsuit against Drake and Steak and, you know, claiming these things on the gambling side, but the claims of the bodying and the, you know, fabricated streams and using Steak as basically like a front to be able to do that, to be able to hide the money that you're using to do that. This is the first of that nature. So there will be more on that for sure. I'll be back with more again if you guys want more news while I'm here in Ghana because, you know, I'm ripping and running, bringing you guys as much as I can. Make sure you're also following me on social. Lauren, the Rosa everywhere. Now let's get back to a positive 2026 for somebody from me. Okay, Shout out to, you know, Drake's team. Though I did reach out to his rep and they have no statement as of now, but they said that if anything was to come, they would let me know. Hopefully the boy is having a good new year. Let's bring it on back over to Ghana, Bozeman St. John. Before we kicked off our New Year's Eve dinner and before the fireworks happened here in Ghana, she gave an amazing speech just about the table that she brought together to bring into the year and why it was so important for her and has been for years now, since the first year of the big return, which a lot of you guys will remember. I know ESSENCE covered it, like, amazingly. That was the first time I had ever heard of people coming over to Ghana for the holiday that weren't actually from Ghana. But let's take a listen to Bosma, and I hope you guys are still enjoying your new year. I'll be back tomorrow with another episode, some more good rewinds. I tell y' all every episode. You guys could be anywhere with anybody talking about all these things, but y' all choose to be right here with me. And I appreciate you guys. My lowriders. Check you guys tomorrow.

[Katie Couric]

As we head into 2026. It's safe to say that 2025 was a year like no other. So much news, so much disruption, and, yes, so much division. That's why we're wrapping up this season of Next Question with a look back at everything that's happened. Things are coming at us with such a velocity. We thought it was important to take a moment, connect the dots and explore what it all means. We're summing up the first year of Trump's second term with David Graham on Project 2025 and how many of the goals have been implemented. Richard Haass on foreign policy and the changing world order. Jessica Valenti on reproductive rights and the terrifying consequences of abortion bans. Tina Brown on the year scandals here and across the po. The President has upended everything from pardons to the press, so we're covering it all. Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brad Palumbo]

The social media trend that's landing some gen zers in jail. The progressive media darling whose public meltdown got her fired.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Dr. Elizabeth Poynter]

Welcome to Decoding Women's Health. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Poynter, Chair of Women's health and Gynecology at the Atria Health Institute in New York City. On this show, I'll be talking to top researchers and top clinicians, asking them your burning questions and bringing that information about women's health and midlife directly to you.

[Dr. Joy Harden Bradford]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Reminds us we are in a divisive time where our comments are weaponized against us. And so what we find is a lot of black women are standing up and speaking out because they feel the brunt of the pain.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey, y', all, it's Lauren LaRosa with the latest with Lauren LaRosa. And today, as you guys see, I'm not outside of the courtroom. I am actually in the back of an SUV because I left court trying to make my flight. But y' all know I am here to give y' all the latest because I had to get this update in. You know your girl. Love to take y' all to court. Love to take y' all to court. So Kid Cudi took the stand today, as I told you guys that. They mentioned the court yesterday. The testimony would be short, and it was very much that. It was very to the point of the alleged arson, a bit of background about the relationship and then boomed, moved on. So Kid Cudi took the stand as the prosecution, as one of the prosecution's witnesses and began to testify about an incident that he claims went down with him, Diddy and Cassie. Now, he took the stand around 10:40am finished not too long after that. He says that he met Cassie some years back at an event in New York. They dated briefly in 2011. He says that he was aware that she was dating Diddy, however, well previous to him, because he says, look, I knew she was dating him before, but when, you know, we linked up, she said that that was over, that was done with. So he thought that it was all go. So then the prosecutors asked him about an incident that took place at his home December 2011, where police had to be called to his home. And they asked him what was the incident. He says, someone broke into my house. Now, we have heard about this alleged arson incident for a very long time through civil lawsuits, through the indictments. But this was the first time me hearing, this is the first time I heard about the home break in. The. The alleged home break in, that he is also trying to connect to Diddy. So he says that somebody broke into his home, so police had to be called to his house. He said he got a phone call at like 5 or 6am from Cassie, and she was, you know, very upset. And he could tell that she was very shaken, so he didn't know what was going on. But as they're on the phone, he says that Cassie says to him that Diddy had allegedly found out about them. And he's like, I was confused because at that point I really thought that she was no longer dealing with Diddy. So when he said that, I already knew where this was going because of how scared she sounded on the phone, especially because she was mentioning, too, that, like, Diddy had said that he was gonna go to Kid Cudi's house and all these things. Allegedly. He was like, all right, I just want to go pick her up and make sure she was safe. It specifically, he said that she sounded stressed, nervous and scared. So he says he went and picked her up. He took her to the Sunset Marquee. The prosecutors asked him, okay, well, why did you go to the Sunset Marquee? So he's like, you know, no reason, but. But the fact that that's just a hotel that I used to frequent in la. And they're like, well, why did you go to a hotel? And he says, well, I took her to a hotel because I figured that that would be safe. And they're like, what do you mean, that would be safe? And he said that he alleged that Cassie explained that Diddy was really, really upset that Diddy planned to go to his home, and he had already known the background info or some background info of the domestic violence that Cassie was experiencing, because he says Cassie had actually come out and told him that Diddy would get physical with her. So he was like, you know, I was just nervous for her. So he got her to the Sunset Marquee. They introduced Capricorn Clark again, who has been coming up in court almost every single day at this point, and Kid Cutting. So they asked Kid Cudi, who was Capricorn Clark. So he's like, oh, that was a friend of Cassie's. So then they show a photo to him to identify her. They're like, okay, is this Capricorn Clark? And he's like, yes. So they bring the photo up. They show the jurors and all of us the photo. So he's like, you know, they. They would all hang out a lot because she was a good friend of Cassie's. So the day that all of this happened, Capricorn Clark and him ended up on the phone. Capricorn Clark and Cudi ended up on the phone. The prosecutors asked him like, okay, well, normally when you talk to Capricorn Clark, how is it? He was like, oh, normally it's on speakerphone. And she was like, but what's her like demeanor?

[Dr. Elizabeth Poynter]

And she.

[Lauren LaRosa]

He was like, you know, normally, like, just regular. Like, she's on speakerphone, you know, me, her and Cassie are talking. And they say the night, the day that all this happened, that Diddy found out about all this stuff and, you know, the alleged break in and cops coming into your home, then that time when all of this happened, how did her demeanor sound? And he said that she answered the phone, and she and Capricorn Clark allegedly sound very scared. He described it as Capricorn Clark being on the verge of tears. He says that while she was on the phone, Capricorn Clark told Kid Cudi that she was allegedly forced to go with Diddy. She was forced into a car to go with Diddy to Kid Cudi's house, and that Diddy was going to be at his house when he arrived there. Prosecutors had asked Kid Cudi, like, well, how did Diddy even know where to go? How did he know where your. Your house was at? And he said, cassie gave him my address. So he says after he talked to Capricorn Clark, he then got in the car and went to his house. Like, he wasn't ducking. No smoke. He got in the car, went to his house while he's driving. He says he had Diddy's number. And he called Diddy, allegedly. He said, I'm gonna be candid. I said, hey, you at my house? And Diddy said, I just want to talk to you. And Kid Cudi said, well, I'm on my way right now. And Diddy said, okay, I'm here waiting on you, allegedly. So Diddy, he says his voice was calm the whole time on the phone. It was a very calm demeanor. And Kid Cudi was telling the prosecutors, like, you know, because they asked him, like, did you have cameras out front of your house? And he's like, I did have cameras. But he alleges that when he got to his home, he realized that the cameras had been. They normally angled down to the door, to the front door. And he realized that when he got to his house, the cameras were angling away from the door, so they didn't capture anything. He was alleging that this was done because of whoever went into his home. And he alleges that Diddy was who went into his home. So he said when he got into his home, there were, like, some gifts that he had brought for his family. From Chanel. So that stuff was opened. He said that his dog was allegedly locked up in a bathroom. And that was weird because he normally lets his dog roam all over the house. Like, he never locks his dog in the bathroom. Now the police, at the police, the prosecutors asked, well, you know, after this incident, how was your dog, like, how did your dog acts? And he said, well, after this incident, my dog was like very jittery, very on edge all the time. So now Kid Cudi leaves his home, he gets in his car, he's calling Diddy, allegedly. And he says Diddy answers. And Kid Cudi was asking him like, yo, where you at? Diddy keeps saying to him, I'm on my way, I'm on my way. Like, Diddy is telling him, allegedly he's on his way to his home. And Kid Cudi hangs up and he's like, you know, I took a second and I thought about it because I, I started thinking to myself, I don't know who he's with. I don't know what he has on him. I don't know his intentions. I don't know anything. So it doesn't make any sense for me to try, like, try and find him right now. Decided to just chill. He went back to his house and he called police again. Now when he called police, he did make a report for the break in. And he said he saw Cassie after that, after all of this and that she was stressed out. Now that now we move on, right? So now Christmas comes along. So after all of this, Cassie and kid Cudi head to Cassie's parents home not too shortly after this, head to Cassie's parents home in Connecticut. Now, we've heard about this visit to Cassie's parents home in Connecticut multiple times. We've heard about it from Cassie from her point of view. We've heard about it from Cassie's mother as well, briefly. And now we're hearing about it from Kid Cudi. Now Kid Cudi is saying that she needed to be around family. He says while he was there, Diddy allegedly text him a few times. Because remember, Diddy was saying like, I, I want to talk to you, I want to talk to you, I want to talk to you. Because at this point now Diddy is trying to have a conversation, allegedly about what their relationship is like. He's like, okay, like, I need to get to the bottom of this. So Kid Cudi is like, you know, did he allegedly text him a couple times, but he didn't give him to too much, so it stopped. So then going Into New Year's of January 2020, January 2012, their relationship like just dies out. Cassie on, you know, on her testimony said that she broke up with him going into the New Year. Kid Cudi said it just kind of like faded out. Like they just stopped talking. And for him, he said it was just a lot going on. Like he felt like it was best that they just stopped talking because it was a lot of drama. January 2012, right. So we're into the New Year. Kid Cudi says he's at his ex girlfriend's sister's house just chilling. And then he gets a call from his dog. Sit around like six, seven o' clock in the morning, and the dog sitter is like, hey, your car is on fire in the driveway. He's like, what? So he goes home. While he's on his way home, he has one of his friends send him a photo of the damage of the car. Now here is the photos of some of the damage from the car. So as you see here, you have his Ragtock, a Porsche. At that time, he has a rag top. The ragtop was split. He says it wasn't like this before he left his house, that it was split. And he did say that of course he felt like this was done on purpose. So he says that the top was split, as we see, and a cocktail was thrown into the car, which then caused the fire. Fire, as we see, affected the, the immediate inside. It was drawn in a lot. It was thrown on the driver's side of the car. So here are some of the damage. So the roof was cut on the soft top of the Porsche. There's smoke damage to the driver door. There's a seat burned up. So you guys see the red has turned black on the driver's side. Kid Cudi said that when he got back home to his house, the cops were at his house when he arrived. And the cops had, you know, verified that the cocktail had been thrown into his car which caused the fire and that they actually like showed it to him. Now when they asked him who he thought was responsible, he of course said that he felt like it was intentional. And, and he, you know, reiterates that he believes that the damage was intentional. And he said the last time he saw Cassie, just in general up until the day that we're seeing him on the stand, was 2012 at the Soho house. Now he then goes into this meeting that we've been hearing a lot about. So Cassie had testified that Diddy was still upset, allegedly, and wanted to sit down with her and Kid Cudi. So they sat down at a restaurant. Kid Cudi is like, okay, we sat down at the Soho House. But before. And this. And this wasn't in 2012, right? Because in 2012, we ran into her at the Soho House. But they're like, wait, back up. You were at the Soho House another time, and. And you ran into Cassie. Can you talk to us about that meeting? So he's like, it was the next day, after the car on fire incident. He had reached out to Diddy because at this point, he says he was just tired of all of the drama. He was like, by the time it got to, like, the car getting set on fire, he's like, yo, this is too much. We just need to talk. So he alleges he reached out to Diddy. They met up at the Soho House. He reached out. His manager actually reached out to Drock, who we know has been identified as Diddy's security. So they meet up. He says, he alleges, when he comes in the room, they met in, like, a. Like a conference room in one of the Soho Houses in la. But he says that those conference rooms are not there anymore. But he comes in and he said, Diddy is standing, allegedly, at the window. There's like a. A huge window on one side of the room. Diddy is standing at the window with his hands behind his back. Like he was like a superhero, like a Marvel super villain. That's how he described it. Everybody in the courtroom, of course, that are laughing. So then they start having a conversation. And he says, you know, from the conversation, the alleged conversation, he was able to take away that Diddy felt away because they were homies at one point. And K. Cudi is like, well, you know, I thought it was all fair game because I had been told that y' all were no longer together, that y' all had broken up, because that's what Cassie had told me. So then he says into that conversation, Cassie arrives into the meeting, and Kid Cudi, of course, he's like, yo, I was. I was upset because basically, like, the story was fun to me. Completely different. And, you know, she was a little upset as well, but she was explaining how they met, how they fell in love. And again, Kid Cudy keeps mentioning that Diddy's demeanor allegedly was, like, really calm throughout all of this stuff. He said that his demeanor was calm during the meeting to the point where, like, it was almost, like, eerie a little bit. So then he says at the end of the conversation, Kid Cudi is like, you know, he stood up. He Allegedly goes to shake Diddy's hand. Cuz, at this point, now, they had the conversation. It's like, all right, whatever. We moving on. And Kid Cudi's like, well, what about my car? Allegedly. And Diddy is like, I don't know what you're talking about. He says a few years later, he saw Diddy at the Soho house again. Diddy was with his daughter, one of his daughters. And he came up to him and just apologized and was like, yo, man, I'm sorry for all that drama and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, like, all those things. And then the prosecution rushed. So Brian still comes on cross and he is asking questions, and instantly, right? He's like, okay, let's point to the fact that there were fingerprints and DNA took from the car. Correct? And Kid Cudi's like, correct. And he's like, brian still instantly points to the. Brian instantly points to the fact that there were allegedly findings that. That these DNA, you know, and all that stuff pointed back to a woman. So now we're all like, wait, what? They objected it. He tried to act it a bunch of different ways, and it just. It just was a mess. So we didn't really get too far on that. But Kid Cudi did say that he tried to stay in contact with the police so he could figure out, you know, more from the investigation and the information from the investigation, but he never gotten anything. He never got any more information. Then Kid Cudi goes into having the conversation about, you know, Brian still just establishing his career and all of the things, and he's like, you know, just making a point to. To let it be known that both of them were major music artists at the time around 2012. And he talks about the tour that Kid Cudi was on. But then he makes a point where I'm like, I get what they're trying to do, but I just. Again, I don't know how this is going to fare. For the defense, Brian still makes it a point to bring up the burner phone that Cassie had, which is. Which. Which is what Cassie had admitted that she was communicating with Kid Cudi on while they were dating because she just didn't want Diddy to find out certain things or find out about him because she just didn't think it would be safe, and she just didn't want the drama of him finding out. Allegedly. But Brian still leaves with a mic drop of like, she played both of y', all, right? And he was like, right. And that was it. That was all. Now, from the prosecutor side, you're looking at this like, okay, slam dunk. We got Kid Cudi on the stand testifying firsthand to what he went through. The alleged arson, the phone calls with Diddy, the back and forth with Cassie, you know, and. And showing that, you know, she was trying to get away, but she just couldn't, allegedly. And all these things on the defensive side, right, With Brian still when he comes up, because he goes into this line of questioning about. Because Kid Cudi kept mentioning that Diddy was so calm. Diddy was so calm. Did. He was so calm, right? And we had heard in other people's testimonies about Diddy allegedly carrying firearms and, you know, just different things to intimidate and to get his way and so, you know, do these different things. So Brian still asks him, like, you know, you was willing to go meet up with him. You didn't wonder or think if he might have been carrying a firearm. And he was like. Didn't really think about it. And then he's like. And you say Diddy was like. He was calm. He was calm in demeanor. He was like, yeah. And then they talk about the. Even the homebreak, and they're like, so there was no forced entry. They just left your door unlocked. What Brian still was trying to set up was he was downplaying the. That, you know, this. This big, crazy, aggressive in nature gun slinging man that the prosecution is trying to. To set up. Let me know how y' all feeling.

[Danny Shapiro]

Y'.

[Katie Couric]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

How y' all feel like this is gonna play. Me, myself, personally, my point of view, I don't know if this, like, it paints a picture of an incident that happened for sure, I think it would have been a lot more got him on Diddy. For the prosecutors on Diddy, if they had been able to say that the DNA evidence came back as his or something on the cameras or if there was a phone conversation or something that did he admitted to. I mean, you have Kid Cudi's testimony, of course, and he's there and he went through it. But Kid Cudi didn't see Diddy throw that cocktail in his car that caused the fire. Kid Cudi didn't see Diddy or anyone involved. You know what I mean, do these things. So it's like in the prosecution subtly, very subtly leaned into there was DNA allegedly found. Even though they had to strike that right then they talked about this calm demeanor, trying to make, you know, did he not seem like this big bad guy that the prosecution is trying to make him out to be? We'll see you guys in the next episode. I tell you every episode because I really mean it. At the end of the day, there is always so much going on and so much to talk about. Y' all could be anywhere with anybody talking about it, but you are right here with me every single episode, and I appreciate y'.

[Danny Shapiro]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Let's keep going. Strong little riders. Bring the people on in the community, okay? Invite your homegirl, invite your bro. Everybody's asking about Diddy. And let them know I'm right there. I'm in the courthouse. I can bring you all the details right here on the podcast. So invite them. Tell a friend to tell a friend. It's the latest with Lauren derosa. I will see you guys in my next episode. This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.