Dawn Richard testifies that Diddy once tried to hit Cassie over the head with egg-filled black skillet while demanding food

Pop singer Dawn Richard took the stand on Friday, May 16, in the criminal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs. The 41-year-old singer claimed that she repeatedly witnessed the rapper assault his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Richard spoke about one such incident she allegedly witnessed at Diddy's house in 2009.

Trigger warning: The article contains graphic details about alleged assault and rape. Readers' discretion is advised.

Richard accused Diddy of beating up Cassie and dragging her up the stairs.

"He came down the stairs screaming, belligerent, asking where his food was and proceeded to hit her over the head and beat her on the ground in front of us," she further testified.

According to reports by Unilad published on May 17, 2025, Dawn Richard testified that Sean "Diddy" Combs tried to hit Cassie in the head with a skillet containing eggs.

Recalling the incident, Dawn said that Diddy "took a skillet with eggs inside and tried to hit Ventura over the head with the pan." However, she curled into a fetal position, seemingly trying to protect her head and face. Dawn Richard additionally stated that she was "scared" that the situation might worsen if she tried to intervene.

"I was scared that if I intervened, I might get [it] worse."

The singer further added that the day after the incident, Diddy called her and other artists to his studio and locked the door. The rapper allegedly told them that the incident was just another argument in a relationship.

"He said what we saw was passion and what lovers in passionate relationships do. He said [Ventura] was OK and it would be in our best interests if we didn’t say anything."

During her testimony, Dawn Richard stated that while they were in the studio, Diddy threatened them. She then shed light on what he allegedly said.

"Where he comes from, people go missing if they say things like that. That people could die, death"

He allegedly also gave them flowers that day.

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Dawn Richard was a part of the girl group Danity Kane, which appeared on an MTV show produced by Diddy

Dawn Richard and Diddy's association can be traced back to the early 2000s. Back then, Richard was a member of a girl group called Danity Kane, formed on the MTV reality show, Making the Band. It was produced by Sean "Diddy" Combs. Richard later joined Diddy – Dirty Money, a trio formed in 2009 that included her, Diddy, and Kalenna Harper.

According to E! News, Dawn Richard was associated with the musical trio for about three years, after which she began making music independently.

Dawn Richard is among the several people who have filed lawsuits against Diddy in the past year. According to The Guardian, in September 2024, Richard sued the rapper for s*xual assault and inhumane treatment. In her lawsuit, she made references to witnessing Diddy assaulting Cassie Ventura on several occasions.

According to the September lawsuit, cited by Page Six, Richard further accused Diddy of verbally abusing the contestants of his show. He would allegedly often call them "fat", "ugly", "b*tches", and "h*es". The lawsuit also claimed that the rapper had once forced her to work for about 48 hours straight.

The court documents, obtained by Page Six, reportedly included details about her alleged health deterioration. Dawn Richard allegedly lost significant weight, suffered from dehydration, and also developed rashes due to overworking. Her other claims against Diddy included him allegedly sexually assaulting her during the period from 2009 to 2011.

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Although Diddy is currently facing multiple lawsuits, he has denied the accusations made in them.