Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant, Capricorn Clark, launched the third week of testimony within the rap mogul’s sex-trafficking and racketeering trial in New York, dramatically recounting — after which, by way of tears, strolling again or altering particulars on cross-examination — an alleged kidnapping at gunpoint that led to her calling her boss’ girlfriend to warn her of a break-in and imminent hazard.
Clark has an intensive skilled music and leisure business background, having labored for Def Jam and BET Movies and, for years, as a private assistant to Combs. Her testimony on Tuesday, because the trial resumed after 4 days off for Memorial Day weekend, included her model of the alleged break-in at rapper and Combs’ onetime romantic rival, the rapper Child Cudi, whose actual title is Scott Mescudi and who dated star witness for the prosecution, Cassie Ventura. Mescudi testified final week that he obtained a name from Clark in December 2011 that his dwelling had been damaged into by Combs and one other man. Clark informed her model of that night time to the jury on Tuesday, explaining how she was kidnapped at gunpoint by Combs, her boss on the time.
Combs “bought me with a gun and introduced me to Mescudi’s home to kill him,” Clark informed the court docket.
New particulars of what allegedly occurred that morning in December 2011 emerged with Clark’s testimony of occasions, principally surrounding what she claims occurred after she and Combs left Mescudi’s Hollywood Hills dwelling. Clark informed the court docket that as they drove off from the home in Combs’ Escalade, they noticed Mescudi’s Porsche headed towards the home; they circled and gave chase, Clark stated, however cut up the scene when police sirens had been observed. Combs then drove to a close-by nightclub car parking zone after which dwelling. Clark stated she went to select up Ventura on the resort the place she’d been with Mescudi; Combs, she testified, then mercilessly beat Ventura exterior his dwelling, with the then-26-year-old curled right into a fetal place on the street as Combs allegedly repeatedly kicked her.
Combs, the 55-year-old Unhealthy Boy Data chief and vogue mogul, was charged with sex-trafficking, racketeering and transportation to interact in prostitution in September in what has expanded to a five-count indictment. Combs has pleaded not responsible to all fees; if convicted he might face 15 years to life in jail.
Because the protection hammered Clark on cross-examination, it was questioned who she referred to as first and why that December 2011 morning whereas she was contained in the Escalade, trying on as Combs and a staffer entered Mescudi’s home. Whether or not she’d referred to as one other girl previous to phoning Ventura and Mescudi was a predominant level of competition. Combs, upon arriving dwelling, informed these with him that they needed to persuade his romantic rival that “it wasn’t me.”
“For those who don’t persuade him of that I’ll kill all you,” he stated, punctuating his menace with an expletive, in line with Clark. Clark stated she and Cassie then went to Mescudi’s dwelling, telling jurors: “We wanted to speak to him. We wanted to verify he wasn’t going to make a police report about Puff.”
Clark’s relationship with Combs and Ventura over time took up all the day’s value of testimony, and on cross-examination, her demeanor shifted sharply over the course of the day from curt and typically sassy solutions to the protection’s inquiries to sobbing and choking again tears, apologizing to the decide, telling him she was decided to “get by way of” her time on the stand. Following the alleged Mescudi break-in and her alleged kidnapping, Clark was fired from her Unhealthy Boy Data place for, as she claims, not informing Combs about Ventura courting Mescudi.
“I misplaced all the pieces,” she informed the court docket. “He stated I’d by no means work once more, and all these individuals weren’t my buddies, and he would make me kill myself.”
However because the protection identified all through its questioning — which frequently concerned repeatedly asking Clark if she was certain about issues she stated or did on the time — in 2016, she went again to work for him. Emails that she despatched to Combs asking if he’d forgiven her but had been learn aloud; Clark informed jurors she had no selection however to hunt employment with Combs once more, and wanted to inform her that she “was worthwhile and never disposable.”
“He holds all the facility because it pertains to me,” she informed the court docket, at a degree evoking her son, who she stated has autism, “I simply wish to work and supply for my son.”
Clark’s middling opinion of Ventura’s expertise was additionally drawn out earlier than the court docket. Clark mentioned how from 2007-2010, the lion’s share of Unhealthy Boy’s sources went into selling Cassie. This dwindled over time; because the singer’s relationship with Combs grew stronger, Ventura was not a candy younger artist and extra of a “demanding girlfriend.” The 2 labored on her picture and a brief movie upon Clark’s eventual return to working for Combs as a inventive director.