Sean "Diddy" Combs' former employee, Capricorn Clark, was on the stand Tuesday in his sex trafficking and racketeering trial in New York City.
Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, both mentioned Clark in their previous testimony.
Clark said Tuesday she worked for Combs off and on from 2004 to 2018, starting as his personal assistant, and then later working as Ventura's creative director.
Combs is accused of running a criminal enterprise dating back to at least 2004. Prosecutors say he engaged in or attempted to engage in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and other offenses.
The 55-year-old has pleaded not guilty to five counts, and his trial is expected to last several more weeks.
"She was going to get us all killed"
Clark testified about what she said happened when Combs discovered Ventura's relationship with Mescudi. She said she had helped Ventura buy a burner phone to communicate with Mescudi because she was worried about Combs, saying in court that Ventura "was going to get us all killed."
Then one day, Clark said Combs showed up at her apartment, banging on the door. She described him as "livid" and "furious."
"A very upset Puff was pacing, he was moving around," she testified, adding, "He was pacing and the body language looked like he had something in his hand."
She said she opened the door and found Combs allegedly holding a gun. She said he was wearing a button down shirt and slacks that were split open and she could see his underwear.
Clark said Combs asked why she hadn't told him about Ventura and Mescudi.
"He just said, 'Get dressed, we're going to kill this [expletive],'" Clark testified.
When she said she didn't want to go, he allegedly replied, "I don't give a [expletive] what you want."
Clark said Combs had never been to her apartment before and she had never seen him with a gun.
When asked if she tried to escape, Clark said she felt like anything could happen, so she followed his instructions.
Alleged break-in at Mescudi's house
Clark claimed Combs forced her into a car, where he sat in the backseat with a gun in his lap. She said they drove about 15 to 20 minutes to Mescudi's house in Hollywood Hills.
Once they arrived, she alleged Combs went inside and she waited in the car. She said she called Ventura and could hear Mescudi in the background asking, "He's in my house?!"
Mescudi previously testified about the call from Clark, saying he then drove over to confront Combs.
Clark said Combs caught her on the phone and became even more angry. When Mescudi showed up, Clark said Combs and his security team sped off with her in the car.
Mescudi testified about considering going after them but instead deciding to call the police and report the break-in.
Clark says she saw Combs repeatedly kick Ventura
Clark said Combs asked her to reach out to Ventura and Mescudi after the incident to talk about what happened and make sure Mescudi wasn't going to file a report.
Clark recalled telling Ventura, "If you tell him, he's going to hurt us all," and said Ventura asked, "You really think he will?" Clark said Mescudi was "mind blown" about the whole thing.
She said she and Ventura eventually went back to Combs' house, where she claimed she witnessed Combs kick Ventura repeatedly. She said he was wearing a robe and underwear and kicking her in "full force".
Clark testified she had never seen Combs act like that before and it "broke her heart" to see Ventura crying and crouching in the fetal position. Clark said she told Combs' security to do something and told Ventura's mom about the alleged abuse.
She said she later told his staff that Combs had kidnapped her with a gun to go kill Mescudi and that he beat up Ventura, all in one day. She said they told her that they would look into it, and she was put on 30-day notice with her job on the line.
Other run-ins with Combs
Clark said this wasn't the first time Combs threatened her. When he found out she had worked for his rival, Suge Knight, he warned he might have to kill her if anything happened, she testified.
She said she was once accused of stealing high-end jewelry that was on loan to Combs and was forced to submit to a lie detector test for several days. She alleged Combs' security threatened her if she failed or if the test was inconclusive saying "you're gonna be in the east river if I can't get a reading on this".
Clark described working long hours for Combs, packing his things for hotel stays with Ventura or the mother of his children, Kim Porter. She said she would sweep the hotel rooms and find baby oil and hand prints after, saying, "It was just everywhere." She also testified Combs asked her to buy drugs, including prescription medication and cocaine.
She said she first quit in 2006 when he allegedly charged at her and pushed her after learning that she complained about staying at his home.
She was rehired in 2011 and became Ventura's creative director, hoping to have little contact with Combs, she testified. She then left the position in 2018. She sued Combs for wrongful termination and later settled for an undetermined amount.
The cross examination of Capricorn Clark
On cross examination, the defense pulled up texts Clark sent Combs in 2021 talking about having a crush on him before she started working for him.
The defense asked Clark if Ventura was a hard worker. Clark explained she was at times, but as the years went on Ventura preferred to be with her boyfriend.
Clark also testified that Combs eventually took a step back from Ventura's career, putting more of it in Ventura's hands, adding Ventura "had her own voice in it".
Clark also said Combs hired her again in 2016 because of Ventura.
"He did what Cassie wanted and Cassie wanted me back," Clark testified.
Renee Anderson
Renee Anderson is a digital producer at CBS New York, where she covers breaking news and other local stories. Before joining the team in 2016, Renee worked at WMUR-TV.
Alice Gainer contributed to this report.
