A former prime help to Sean “Diddy” Combs testified Tuesday at his intercourse trafficking trial that the music mogul threatened her with dying on her first day on the job and later kidnapped her at gunpoint to affix him in an effort to kill rapper Child Cudi.
The testimony from Capricorn Clark, the previous international model director for Unhealthy Boy Leisure, launched the third week of testimony within the trial on a violent observe as prosecutors attempt to show Combs led a racketeering conspiracy spanning 20 years that relied on beefy safety workers and others to make sure he obtained what he needed.
Combs has pleaded not responsible to a number of counts of an indictment accusing him of a sample of abuse towards his longtime girlfriend Cassie, whose authorized identify is Casandra Ventura, and others.
Clark’s testimony got here days after Child Cudi, whose authorized identify is Scott Mescudi, testified that Clark known as him from a automobile exterior his dwelling in December 2011 and advised him that Combs, angered as a result of Cudi was relationship the singer Cassie, had kidnapped her and compelled her to trip him with him to Cudi’s dwelling.
Clark, who largely referred to Combs as “ Puff ” throughout her testimony, stated he got here to her dwelling that morning with a gun in his hand, demanded that she dress and include him as a result of “we’re going to kill Cudi.”
She stated they rode in a black Cadillac to Cudi’s dwelling in Los Angeles, the place Combs and a safety aide entered the residence whereas Clark sat within the automobile and known as Cassie.
Clark testified she advised her that Combs “got me with a gun and brought me to Cudi’s house to kill him.”
Clark stated she heard Cudi within the background of the decision asking, “He’s in my house?” She advised Cassie, “Stop him, he’s going to get himself killed.”
Cassie advised her she couldn’t cease Cudi, she recalled.
Combs returned to the car and requested Clark who she was speaking to, Clark testified. He grabbed the telephone and known as Cassie again, she stated.
They then heard Cudi’s car arising the street, she stated. Combs and his bodyguard obtained again within the car and chased after Cudi, lastly giving up after they handed police vehicles that had been heading for Cudi’s home.
After the break-in, Clark stated, Combs advised the individuals with him that they needed to persuade Cudi “it wasn’t me.”
“If you don’t convince him of that I’ll kill all you,” he stated, punctuating his menace with an expletive, based on Clark.
On Thursday, Cudi testified that he dated Cassie briefly in December 2011, believing that she had damaged up with Combs, however they agreed over the vacations to finish the connection in spite of everything that had occurred.
Assistant U.S. Lawyer Mitzi Steiner questioned Clark about her off-and-on employment with Combs between 2004 and 2018, starting with the primary day on the job when she stated Combs and a safety employees member took her to Central Park after 9 p.m. and stated he hadn’t been conscious of her previous historical past working with different rappers.
Clark, her voice shaky at occasions, testified that Combs advised her that if her previous work for rap rivals turned a difficulty, he’d need to kill her.
She stated she was solely weeks into the job when Combs tasked her with carrying some diamond jewellery on a flight to Miami and it went lacking.
Because of this, she stated, she was taken to a largely empty constructing in Manhattan the place, over a five-day stretch, she was repeatedly given a lie detector take a look at by a person who appeared 5 occasions bigger than her personal measurement.
“He said: ‘If you fail this test, they’re going to throw you in the East River,’” she recalled.
Clark stated they finally let her return to work.
If convicted, the 55-year-old Combs may face 15 years to life in jail.
