Rapper Child Cudi is opening up about his expertise testifying at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse trafficking and racketeering trial in Might.
The Pursuit of Happiness rapper (actual title Scott Mescudi) advised Name Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper that he “hated each minute of it,” marking the primary time he has spoken out about his time at Combs’ trial.
Mescudi mentioned that he turned down testifying twice however needed to take the stand as soon as he was subpoenaed. The 41-year-old rapper beforehand dated Cassie Ventura, Combs’ ex-girlfriend, in 2011, and testified about their transient relationship that came about 14 years in the past.
“I used to be simply there as a result of I needed to be,” Mescudi advised Cooper. “I hated each minute of it. I didn’t need to do it.”
However he did make it clear that he wished to “assist Cassie,” who was a key witness in Combs’ trial.
Mescudi took the stand on Might 22 and testified that Combs broke into his Hollywood Hills dwelling in 2011 after discovering out he was relationship his ex-girlfriend, Ventura, and mentioned he was positive Combs was behind the firebombing of his automotive weeks later.
The Grammy-winning rapper advised Cooper that he felt “calm” on the stand.
“I’m fascinated with like, ‘What am I carrying, man? Do I’ve to be like [in a] go well with or one thing?’ I used to be like, ‘Man, f— this s—. That is what I’m carrying at this time. I’m going to this f—— s— on this. I’m not dressing up for this s—.’ Like, put on some arduous bottoms. I’m carrying some Solomon’s, and I’m coming in with my Levi’s and my leather-based jacket and that’s it, you understand?” he mentioned, describing the outfit he wore to the federal courthouse in Manhattan.
Rapper Child Cudi, centre, arrives at federal courtroom for the trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, in New York, on Might 22, 2025.
AP Photograph/Richard Drew
Mescudi spoke about coming to phrases with the truth that he was there to testify in assist of Ventura.
“I considered, once I was up there. I’m right here to assist Cassie, and Cassie is my pal, you understand, and I really like her, and I wanna see her do effectively,” he mentioned.
“And once I noticed her get married, I used to be so completely satisfied for her, you understand, that she discovered somebody, her particular person. After I noticed that she was having youngsters, I used to be like, ‘Oh, that is so superior.’ You recognize what I imply?”
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He mentioned that he’s “all the time simply wished to see her thrive and do effectively and be completely satisfied as a result of I do know she was residing a nightmare, and I simply was there to assist her.”
“That’s what sort of gave me peace with it once I sat down in that chair. It was nearly, ‘Oh man, I gotta like, maintain homegirl down’ and like look out for her,” the Day ‘n’ Nite rapper added.
Cooper requested Cudi concerning the interval of his life when he was relationship Ventura.
“It was loopy, man,” he mentioned, earlier than taking an extended pause. “Within the second, it was simply loopy, like I had a tough time understanding if it was actuality. I used to be like, ‘Am I in a film? What the f— is occurring?’”
“It was simply chaotic and intense,” he added. “And, you understand, I wasn’t like, I used to be already out of my thoughts coping with my very own private s— so I used to be actually identical to, f— it. I used to be simply prepared to stroll into the hearth.”
In one other interview on CBS Mornings, Mescudi mentioned the general public response to his testimony.
“The backlash was swift. I had lots of people that supported me, however there have been a number of that had some opinions about it,” Mescudi mentioned. “It was fascinating as a result of I’m not no road dude. I don’t dwell by no code, you understand? So I assume it’s as a result of I’m a rapper. Individuals simply threw that on me. However, like, my music has by no means been about that and I’ve by no means tried to faux I used to be about that.”
Talking at Combs’ federal intercourse trafficking trial in Manhattan, Mescudi mentioned that whereas he and Ventura had been relationship, he took her to a West Hollywood lodge to get her away from Combs. Whereas there, he mentioned, he bought a name from Combs’ assistant Capricorn Clark. She advised him Combs and an affiliate had been in Mescudi’s home and that she had been compelled to go together with them.
Mescudi mentioned he known as Combs whereas driving dwelling and requested why he was in his home. He mentioned Combs calmly replied, “I need to discuss to you.”
However Combs wasn’t there when he arrived, Mescudi testified. As an alternative, he discovered that somebody had opened Christmas presents he’d bought for his household and locked his canine in a toilet. Mescudi wasn’t positive what was occurring, so he known as the police.
A couple of weeks later, Mescudi testified, his Porsche 911 convertible was broken by hearth whereas parked in his driveway. Mescudi mentioned he was at a pal’s home when his canine sitter known as and advised him his automotive was on hearth. Jurors had been proven images of the automotive’s purple leather-based inside scorched and burned, with a gap within the material roof. A Molotov cocktail was discovered on the passenger seat, Mescudi mentioned.
Ventura had testified the week prior that Combs threatened to explode Mescudi’s automotive and harm him after he discovered she was relationship the rapper.
Mescudi mentioned he didn’t have conflicts on the time with anybody aside from Combs.
“I knew he had one thing to do with it,” Mescudi mentioned, main Combs’ attorneys to object. Jurors had been advised to ignore the comment.
Mescudi advised jurors he met with Combs the subsequent day at a Los Angeles lodge to attempt to clean issues over.
“After the hearth, I mentioned, ‘That is getting out of hand. I want to speak to him,’” Mescudi mentioned.
On the finish of the assembly, as they stood and shook fingers, Mescudi mentioned he requested Combs: “What are we going to do about my automotive?” Mescudi mentioned Combs gave him a “very chilly stare” and responded, “I don’t know what you’re speaking about.”
Mescudi mentioned he thought “he was mendacity” however let it go, and there have been no extra episodes at his home. A couple of years later, Combs apologized “for the whole lot” once they bumped into one another at a lodge, Mescudi testified.
Combs has been behind bars since his September arrest. He confronted federal fees of coercing girlfriends into having drug-fuelled intercourse marathons with male intercourse staff whereas he watched and filmed them.
He was acquitted final month of the highest fees — racketeering and intercourse trafficking — and was convicted of two counts of a prostitution-related offence.
His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3.
— With recordsdata from The Related Press
