Roommates, we’re nine days into Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ federal trial, and today Kid Cudi will take the witness stand. Earlier this week, prosecution in Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering case teased Cudi as a witness. Then, on Wednesday (May 21), they confirmed that the ex-boyfriend of key witness Cassie is one of five brief witnesses testifying on Thursday.
Live updates have ended. Keep reading for a full recap of Cudi’s statements on the witness stand.
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Kid Cudi Arrives At NYC Court For Diddy’s Trial
The Shade Room captured a video of Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, entering the Manhattan courthouse on Thursday morning. The rapper wore a casual outfit, including blue jeans, a white T-shirt, a black leather jacket, and a cigarette in his mouth.
After former personal assistant George Kaplan wraps his testimony about working 80 to 100 hours weekly for Sean Combs from 2013 to 2015, Cudi will take the stand. According to the Associated Press, the ‘Day ‘n’ Night’ artist will not testify for long.
RELATED: Kid Cudi: 5 Facts To Know About The Artist Ahead Of His Upcoming Testimony In Diddy’s Trial
On The Stand, Day #9: Rapper Explains History With Cassie & 2011 Incident With Diddy
Prosecutor Emily Johnson opened with questions about Kid Cudi’s past with Cassie. He testified that they met in 2008, recorded some music, and began dating in 2011. At the time, he said he understood “that she and Sean Combs had some problems and they weren’t dating anymore.”
He said that in December 2011, he called the police to his home for a suspected break-in. Cassie had called him between 5:30 and 6 a.m., saying Diddy found out about them and asked him to pick her up. “So I did,” he said, and they went to a West Hollywood hotel to get her away from Diddy. During that time, Sean’s assistant, Capricorn Clark, called him in what sounded like “near tears.” Kid Cudi said Clark told him:
“Sean Combs and an affiliate were in my house and she was in a car and she was forced to go with them over there.”
After the call, Kudi said he hopped in his Porsche 911 convertible and drove to his home, calling Diddy on the way. Using a curse word, Cudi allegedly asked Sean Combs why he was in the house. He said Combs calmly replied, “I want to talk to you.” Cudi said he told Combs he was on his way to the house, to which Combs said: “I’m over here waiting for you.”
But, Cudi said, Diddy wasn’t there when he arrived. Instead, he found Christmas (Chanel) presents he’d purchased for his family had been opened, and his dog was locked up in a bathroom. Cudi said he got back into his car and called Combs again, asking him where he was. Diddy replied, “I’m on my way, I’m on my way,” Cudi testified. Cudi said he wasn’t sure what was going on, so he decided to call the police.
Associated Press Staff contributed to this live update.
On The Stand, Day #9: Cudi Testifies About His Car Catching Fire
Cudi testified that a few weeks later, in January 2012, his Porsche 911 convertible was destroyed by fire. The incident happened in the driveway of his Hollywood Hills home. Cudi said he was about 45 minutes away at a friend’s house when his dog sitter called and “told me my car was on fire.” Prosecutors showed pictures to the jury that displayed a hole cut in the fabric roof, and a Molotov cocktail was found in the passenger seat.
Keep in mind that Cassie testified last week that Combs threatened to blow up Cudi’s car and hurt him after he learned they were dating. Cas said Combs told her he’d be out of the country when it happened, and it wouldn’t be on his hands.
Associated Press Staff contributed to this live update.
On The Stand, Day #9: Rapper Says He Met With Diddy One Day After Car Fire
Kid Cudi told jurors that he and Diddy met to squash their beef the next day at a Los Angeles hotel. His manager had arranged it with Sean Combs’ bodyguard.
“After the fire I said, this is getting out of hand, I need to talk to him,” Cudi explained. Cudi said he didn’t have conflicts at the time with anyone other than Combs. “I knew he had something to do with it,” Cudi said, prompting Combs’ lawyers to object. Jurors were told to disregard the remark.
Cudi said when he walked into the hotel room, Diddy was staring out the window, standing with hands behind his back “like a Marvel supervillain.” That comment caused folks in the courtroom to laugh. Despite the action movie posture, Combs remained oddly calm throughout the one-on-one meeting, Cudi said, and even offered him water on a couple of occasions.
He and Combs eventually stood and shook hands. Then Cudi asked Combs: “What are we going to do about my car?” Cudi said Combs gave him a “very cold stare” and responded: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Cudi said he was annoyed and decided to let it go, but recalled Combs noticing his hesitation. “I thought we were cool, is there a problem?” Combs allegedly asked Cudi. The rapper said he told Combs he would take him at his word, and he eventually made peace with the situation. After that, there were no more break-ins at his house and no more trouble with his car.
Associated Press Staff contributed to this live update.
On The Stand, Day #9: Cudi Says Diddy Apologized Years Later
Diddy ended up apologizing a few years later, when they ran into each other again at the SoHo House hotel, Cudi testified. Kid Cudi said Diddy, who was there with his daughter, pulled him aside and said: “Man, I just was to apologize for everything and all that (expletive).” Cudi said, “After the apology, I found peace with it.”
During cross-examination, defense lawyer Brian Steel focused on the December 2011 break-in. Cudi admitted to leaving his home’s door unlocked, but he also acknowledged that the structure was not damaged. The actor-singer testified that the concerning aspects were the unwrapped Christmas presents, his dog locked in the bathroom, and a security camera that looked like it had been moved to the side.
Associated Press Staff contributed to this live update.
On The Stand, Day #9: Rapper Agrees With Defense About THIS Cassie Note Before Testimony Ends
In continued cross-examination, Brian Steel suggested that Cassie was living a “double life”—playing both Combs and Kid Cudi in their relationships.
Cudi testified that when he started dating Cassie in late 2011, she’d led him to believe that she and Combs were broken up. In reality, she testified, she was still seeing Combs for so-called “freak-offs” and using a burner phone to contact Kid Cudi.
“She told me they were broken up and I took her word for it,” Cudi said, recalling for jurors what he told Combs when they met to clear the air in January 2012.
“Ms. Ventura was living two different lives, is that true?” Steel asked. “Yes,” Cudi replied.
Kid Cudi admitted Diddy’s treatment of Cassie bothered him because he was in love with her. Brian Steel asked, “The person who played you and the person who played Sean was Ms. Ventura, true?” “True,” Kid Cudi responded.
— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) May 22, 2025
During re-direct, prosecutor Emily Johnson asked if Cudi believed Diddy when he said he knew nothing about the car fire. Cudi said he left the meeting with Sean Combs thinking “that he was lying.”
At that point, two defense lawyers on either side of Diddy discussed whether they should get the last word in. Sean Combs told them no and shook his head. Both lawyers then shook their heads and informed the judge they were done with questions for the rapper.
With that, the judge allowed Cudi, who yawned several times as he testified, to leave. He left the courtroom without looking in Diddy’s direction.
Associated Press Staff contributed to this live update.
RELATED: Inside Diddy’s Trial: Escort Ring, Cassie’s Allegations & Evidence Revealed | TSR Investigates
Associated Press Staff contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
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