The first week of the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs has come to an end in New York City, but there's still more to come. He is currently facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution in court. In addition to the criminal charges, he faces a range of civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault, rape and abuse over a 20 year period. He denies all allegations and has pleaded not guilty in court.
Given Diddy's status as a music mogul, it's little surprise that Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the case, described the extensive list of famous names that might come up in court.
As the trial continues, there has been renewed interest in Diddy's ex-girlfriend, the late Kim Porter, who dated Diddy in the 90s and again in the noughties. The latest in a long line of celebrity witnesses is singer Dawn Richard, who took to the stand on Friday. The singer filed a lawsuit against Diddy in September and accused him of sexual and physical abuse throughout the eight years they worked together.
Here's everything you need to know about the Danity Kane singer, including everything she said about Diddy on the stand.
Who is Dawn Richard?
Dawn Richard is an American singer from New Orleans, and was a former bandmate of Diddy. She started her career auditioning for MTV's Making the Band 3 in 2004, during which she formed the girl group Danity Kane. The group signed with Diddy's Bad Boy Records and released three studio albums, before they temporarily broke up in 2009.
What is Diddy- Dirty Money?
In 2009, Dawn formed the musical trio Diddy- Dirty Money with Diddy and fellow R&B singer Kalenna Harper, but disbanded in 2012. At the Diddy trial, Richard confirmed that she had asked Combs to sign her as a solo artist in 2011, which would have marked the end of her time with Diddy-Dirty Money, but Combs denied her.
On the Merge Records website, she is quoted as saying, 'You never see women appreciated as producers and artists alike—especially Black women in the electronic space. The time is now for us to start recognising their talent, not only in electronic music but in all genres. I wanna be the reason why a young Black girl from the South can be whoever she wants to be musically, visually, and artistically.'
What has Dawn Richard accused Diddy of?
In 2024, Dawn accused the music mogul of engaging in years physical and sexual abuse against her and others while the two worked together, dating as far back as 2009, according to a lawsuit. It claims Combs manipulated her by suggesting that the only way for her career to advance would be by bowing his demands.
The allegations include withholding payment for work on albums, throwing household items at Dawn, hosting parties where inebriated young girls were sexually violated, withholding food during recording, and making death threats when Richard tried to intervene in alleged abuse against Combs’s girlfriend, Cassie.
The suit credits says Dawn was inspired to come forward following legal action brought last year by Cassie.
'For nearly a decade, Mr. Combs manipulated Ms. Richard with mantras that submission to his depraved demands was necessary for career advancement, instilling in her the belief that such abuse and exploitation were required for female artists to succeed in the music industry,' the complaint reads. 'It was not until Ms. Ventura’s bravery in coming forward that Ms. Richard realised her own personal suffering was tied to the many years of abuse by Mr. Combs that had become normalised for her.'
At the time, Erica Wolff, an attorney for Combs, told The Independent the claims in the suit are false. 'Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit,' Wolff said via email. 'In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.'
Dawn's lawyer Lisa Bloom told BBC’s Newsnight in 2024 that her client alleged that Diddy had 'groped and grabbed her body parts, sexually assaulted her, [and] not only failed to pay her money that was promised to her, but actually prevented her from eating and sleeping during those years – just treated her terribly.'
What did Dawn Richard say about Diddy at the trial?
On 16th May, Dawn Richard took to the stand to share her encounters with Diddy. The singer told jurors that she witnessed Combs hit his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura with a skillet full of eggs at his Los Angeles home in 2009.
According to NBC News, who had reporters in the courtroom, Dawn said, 'He came downstairs, asking where his phone was and he threw her to the ground. He attempted to kick her, she fell to the ground and went into the fetal position, literally trying to hide her head.'
Dawn then alleged that Combs put his arm around Cassie's neck and took her upstairs, before she heard glass breaking.
Richard added, 'I was scared for her, I was scared to do anything.'
She also alleged that she witnessed years of abuse against Cassie, tell jurors, 'Frequently, he would punch her, choke her, slap her in the mouth, kick her, punch her in the stomach.'
She also said that Cassie was repeatedly told to 'wait her turn' to record an album. 'He said it would be on his terms. It was always wait, wait, wait. She had to wait for her turn, sometimes it was just "wait your turn," other times it was violent or volatile.' Richard also alleged that numerous employees of Combs’s witnessed his violence against Ventura but no one stepped in.
When pressed about her lawsuit against Combs, Richard said, 'I want justice and to be made whole.'
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, health, politics and interiors.