Permission to be Powerful Podcast

Capricorn Clark’s Shocking Testimony in the Sean “Diddy” Combs Trial

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Capricorn Clark’s Shocking Testimony in the Sean “Diddy” Combs Trial

Jaw-Dropping Testimony

Anton

May 29, 2025

Transcript

Editor’s note:

Catch up on the Diddy trial here:

Kid Cudi’s Testimony

Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: Ex-assistant Capricorn Clark testifies

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,

In a Manhattan federal courtroom earlier this week, Capricorn Clark – a former executive assistant and brand director for Sean “P. Diddy” Combs – took the stand to deliver explosive testimony.

Presided over by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, the trial centers on multiple charges against Combs, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracynpr.org.

Clark’s testimony, given on Tuesday, unveiled harrowing allegations of kidnapping, death threats, and violence involving Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and rapper Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi).

What follows is a reconstruction of Clark’s courtroom testimony, drawing on direct quotes and dialogue reported by reputable press sources. Every line is grounded in the factual accounts of the trial, portraying the gripping scene as it unfolded.

Bailiff: All rise.

(Everyone stands as Judge Subramanian enters the courtroom and takes the bench.)

Judge Subramanian: You may be seated. Prosecution, please call your next witness.

Prosecutor (Mitzi Steiner): The government calls Capricorn Clark.

(Clark approaches the witness stand and is sworn in.) Please state your name and your relationship to the defendant for the record.

Capricorn Clark (Witness): My name is Capricorn Clark. I worked for Sean Combs for many years – off and on between 2004 and 2018 – as his personal assistant and later as a global brand director.

Prosecutor: Ms. Clark, during your time working for Mr. Combs, did he ever threaten you or harm you?

Clark: Yes. From my very first day on the job, Mr. Combs threatened me.

Prosecutor: Can you describe that first incident?

Clark: When he hired me in 2004, he took me to Central Park at night, along with one of his security guards (a man called Uncle Paul). He confronted me about my connections to Suge Knight – I had previously interned for Mr. Knight – and he threatened me.

“He told me he didn’t know I had anything to do with Suge Knight and if anything happened, he would have to kill me,”

I testified. In shock, I responded to Mr. Combs,

“We’ll just have to see.”

Prosecutor: How did you react to that threat?

Clark: I was stunned, but I tried to brush it off at the time. I continued working for him. It wasn’t the last threat I received.

Prosecutor: You continued working for Mr. Combs. Did another serious incident occur later that year?

Clark: Yes. Later in 2004, some expensive diamond jewelry that had been loaned to Mr. Combs went missing while under my care. I was accused of stealing the jewelry.

In response, Mr. Combs’s associates held me in a building at 1710 Broadway for five days and forced me to undergo repeated lie-detector tests.

I wasn’t free to leave during that time.

Prosecutor: Five days? You were confined by Mr. Combs’s associates?

Clark: Yes. Effectively, I was held against my will.

They kept me on a dilapidated floor in the Bad Boy Records building. One of the men administering the polygraph warned me explicitly what would happen if I failed.

He said, “If you fail the test, they’re going to throw you in the East River.”

I was terrified.

Prosecutor: That’s a direct threat to your life.

Clark: Absolutely. I was petrified. 7. I endured all five days of lie-detector testing, desperate to prove my innocence so they wouldn’t hurt me. .

Eventually, the tests were inconclusive and I was released. I was actually fired for about three or four weeks afterward, but then Mr. Combs rehired me to help with his 35th birthday party.

Despite everything, I returned to working for him.

Prosecutor: Why did you go back to work for him after that ordeal?

Clark: (Pauses) At the time, I felt I had no choice. If I had quit right then, people would assume I really had stolen the jewelry.

In fact, I felt if I would have left, it would have been written off as I stole anyway. And truthfully, Mr. Combs was very powerful in the music industry – I worried I wouldn’t be able to find other work. So I stayed.

Prosecutor: Let’s move forward to the events of December 22, 2011. This is the day involving Cassie Ventura and Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi), correct?

Clark: Yes. That date is seared in my memory.

Prosecutor: Ms. Clark, could you tell the jury what happened in the early morning hours of December 22, 2011?

Clark: It was around 5:30 in the morning.

I was at my apartment in Los Angeles, asleep, when I woke to a loud banging on my door – like metal clanging against metal. It was an extremely aggressive pounding. I went to the door and opened it, and I saw Mr. Combs standing there. He forced his way in.

Prosecutor: How did Mr. Combs appear at that moment?

`Clark: He looked furious – enraged. And I saw he had a gun in his hand10.`

I remember he was so agitated that his dress slacks were ripped at the crotch, like he had been in some struggle or rushed there. I had never seen him with a weapon before, and he had never shown up at my home like that. I was completely shocked and scared.

Prosecutor: Did Mr. Combs say anything when you opened the door?

Clark: Yes. He was yelling. The first thing he said to me was, “Why didn’t you tell me?” – referring to Cassie and Kid Cudi’s relationship. He was angry that I had known Cassie was seeing Kid Cudi and hadn’t informed him of it.

Prosecutor: What did he say next?

Clark: Mr. Combs then told me,

“Get dressed, we’re going to kill him.”

By him, he meant Kid Cudi. He was essentially ordering me to come with him on the spot to find Kid Cudi.

Prosecutor: He explicitly said he was going to kill Kid Cudi?

Clark: Yes. Those were his words. He said he was going to “go kill” the musician – Kid Cudi – that morning.

He was in a crazed rage.

Prosecutor: How did you respond to being told to go with him?

Clark: I protested. I told him I didn’t want to go. I begged him – I did not want to be part of whatever he was planning. But he didn’t care what I wanted. In fact, when I tried to refuse, he got even more aggressive.

Prosecutor: Do you recall his exact words when you tried to refuse?

Clark: Yes. He basically cursed at me. He said, “I don’t give a f--- what you want to do, go get dressed.” He commanded me to get dressed immediately. At that point, I felt I had no choice. I was terrified – he had a gun and was in a frenzy. I threw some clothes on.

Prosecutor: So you complied. What happened after you got dressed?

Clark: Mr. Combs hustled me out and swept me into a Cadillac Escalade SUV. One of his security staff, a bodyguard, was with us. They effectively kidnapped me and forced me to go along for the ride. We sped off towards the Hollywood Hills, to Kid Cudi’s home.

Prosecutor: How long did it take to get to Kid Cudi’s house, and what did you find on arrival?

Clark: It was a short drive – maybe 15 minutes. When we got there, Mr. Combs and his bodyguard broke into Kid Cudi’s home.

They got out of the SUV, armed, and went inside looking for Cudi. I stayed in the car as I was told.

Prosecutor: Was Kid Cudi home at that time?

Clark: No, he wasn’t. Kid Cudi wasn’t at the house – we later learned he was at a hotel. I sat in the car, panicking. I knew Kid Cudi wasn’t there, but I was terrified about what would happen when he did show up or if someone alerted him. So I decided to call Cassie.

Prosecutor: Cassie Ventura, Mr. Combs’s girlfriend at the time?

Clark: Yes. I had a number for Cassie – she had a secondary “burner” phone. I quietly dialed Cassie’s number while Mr. Combs was inside Cudi’s house.

Prosecutor: What did you say when Cassie answered?

Clark: I was frantic. I whispered urgently to her. I said, “Cassie, stop Cudi, he’s going to come get himself killed.”latimes.com I was warning her that if Kid Cudi tried to come to the house, Mr. Combs was there with a gun intending to kill him. I also remember blurting out, “Cassie, what the f---…,” because I was in utter disbelief and panic at what was unfolding.

Prosecutor: What did Cassie respond to you?

Clark: Cassie was alarmed. She told me that Kid Cudi was already on his way to the houselatimes.com. I realized we had very little time.

Prosecutor: What happened next, Ms. Clark?

Clark: Almost immediately after that call, I saw Kid Cudi’s car pull up near the house.

He arrived at the scene – he had driven over from wherever he was. He pulled up right next to Combs’s Escalade outside his home.

Prosecutor: Did Mr. Combs see him?

Clark: Yes. Mr. Combs and his guard had just come back outside. I saw Kid Cudi’s face – our eyes even met for a second – and Mr. Combs saw him too. The moment Cudi realized Mr. Combs was there, Cudi hit the accelerator and sped off up the hill as fast as he could. He didn’t even get out of his car. He knew something was very wrong.

Prosecutor: Did Mr. Combs give chase?

Clark: Yes, he did. Mr. Combs jumped back in the Escalade with the security guy and me, and we sped after Kid Cudi in a chase through the neighborhoodlatimes.com. Mr. Combs was determined to catch him. We were going at dangerous speeds, but Kid Cudi’s Porsche was faster. After a short pursuit, Kid Cudi got away from us – he lost us in the streets.

Prosecutor: What interrupted the chase?

Clark: A few minutes into the chase, we heard police sirens approaching behind us. Apparently, someone had called the police about the break-in at Cudi’s house. The sirens were getting closer. Mr. Combs noticed, and it finally made him pause.

Prosecutor: How did the sirens affect Mr. Combs?

Clark: It was like pouring cold water on him, momentarily. “He just started to, maybe for the first time that morning, pull himself together,” I testified.

The sound of those sirens calmed him down a bit – probably because he realized the cops were on their way. He decided to back off for the moment.

Prosecutor: So at that point Kid Cudi had escaped and the police were en route. What did Mr. Combs do next?

Clark: Mr. Combs changed course. He did not want an encounter with the police. He drove us away from Kid Cudi’s neighborhood. We ended up going to a nightclub that early morning – this was an after-hours spot he was known to frequent.

Prosecutor: At the nightclub, did Mr. Combs give you any further instructions regarding Cassie or Kid Cudi?

Clark: Yes. While we were at the club, Mr. Combs formulated another plan. He still hadn’t gotten to Cassie, who was his main fixation, and he was worried about Kid Cudi talking to the police. So he turned to me and ordered me to call Cassie again. He told me exactly what to say to her.

Prosecutor: What were you told to tell Cassie?

Clark: He told me to tell Cassie that he “has me, and he’s not going to let me go until I come get her.”latimes.com In other words, he was using me as bait – implying to Cassie that I was being held hostage so that she would come to him.

Prosecutor: Did you relay that message to Cassie?

Clark: Yes. I called Cassie and repeated Mr. Combs’s message: essentially that he had me in his custody and wouldn’t release me until Cassie came in person. Cassie agreed – for my sake – to meet Mr. Combs. She was very concerned for me.

Prosecutor: Where did Cassie meet you?

Clark: Cassie met us and then I accompanied her to Mr. Combs’s home in Los Angeles. By this point it was later in the day on December 22, 2011.

Prosecutor: Describe what happened at Mr. Combs’s home when Cassie arrived.

Clark: It was horrific. As soon as Cassie was there, Mr. Combs turned his rage on her. We were in the house – me, Cassie, Mr. Combs, and at least one security guard present. Mr. Combs began to brutally beat Cassie. He was kicking her repeatedly – and I mean with full force.

Cassie fell to the floor and crouched into a full fetal position. She wasn’t fighting back or doing anything; she was just crying silently while he kicked her. He was completely out of control.

Prosecutor: What were you doing at this time?

Clark: I was standing nearby, in shock and fear. I wanted to intervene to protect Cassie, but I was too scared to call the police or physically stop himwashingtonpost.com. Remember, he still had that gun. Mr. Combs actually threatened that he would hurt me too if I tried to stop him from beating Cassielatimes.com. And the security guard who was there yelled at me to leave the room. I was essentially powerless in that moment.

Prosecutor: Did you comply with the security guard’s instruction to leave?

Clark: Yes. The guard was one of Mr. Combs’s henchmen – I was afraid of him as well.

I left the immediate area as Cassie was being attacked. But I couldn’t just do nothing. I decided to call Cassie’s mother for help.

Prosecutor: You called Cassie’s mother?

Clark: I did. I stepped away and found a phone, and I called Regina Ventura, Cassie’s mom. I was crying and frantic when I got her on the line. I basically begged her for help. I told her exactly what was happening. I said, “He’s beating the s--- out of your daughter. I can’t call the police, but you can. … Please help her.”washingtonpost.com I implored Mrs. Ventura to call 911 since I was too afraid to do it myself.

Prosecutor: Those were your exact words to Cassie’s mother?

Clark: Yes. “He’s beating the shit out of your daughter… I can’t call the police, but you can… please, help her,” I told her.

I was in tears. Mrs. Ventura was understandably very upset and said she would take action. (Witness becomes visibly emotional, pausing to collect herself.)

Prosecutor: (Gently) Ms. Clark, take your time. (There is a brief silence in the courtroom as Clark composes herself.) Now, after you made that call to Cassie’s mother, what happened next? Did the violence eventually stop?

Clark: Yes, eventually it deescalated. I believe Cassie’s mother did call the police. Mr. Combs left Cassie battered, and the immediate crisis subsided once he realized people were contacting the authorities. That day was the worst I’d ever experienced. But it wasn’t the end of the consequences for me.

Prosecutor: What do you mean by that?

Clark: A couple of weeks later, in early 2012, I was terminated from my job.

Prosecutor: You were fired by Mr. Combs after this incident?

Clark: Yes. I had reported the December 2011 kidnapping and assault incident to officials at Bad Boy Records – I told the head of Human Resources and also informed Harve Pierre, the president of the company at that time, about what Mr. Combs had done.

Mr. Pierre’s reaction was pretty dismissive; he told me, “That’s crazy, but it’s going to be okay.”

That was it. Not long after I made that report, I was placed on a so-called “30-day notice” and then I was let go from the company.

Prosecutor: Did they give a reason for firing you?

Clark: The official reason given was some nonsense – they said it was due to me taking an “improperly” scheduled vacation.

But I knew the real reason: I had spoken up about Mr. Combs’s crimes. Cassie was still around him at that point, and I believe he and those around him viewed me as the problem.

Prosecutor: When you were let go, did Mr. Combs say anything to you directly?

Clark: Yes, he did. He made sure to threaten me one last time. As I was leaving, Mr. Combs told me I’d “never work again,” and that he’d show me I had no friends in this industry.

He said he would ruin me. He even said he would “make me kill myself.”

Those were his parting words to me – a final threat.

Prosecutor: That is a shocking statement. To be clear, he said he would make you kill yourself?

Clark: Yes. Those were his words. “I’ll make you kill yourself.” It was the culmination of all the intimidation. And indeed, after I was fired, I struggled immensely to find employment.

Prosecutor: Did you pursue any legal action after your termination?

Clark: I did. I filed a claim for wrongful termination. Ultimately, Mr. Combs agreed to a private settlement with me.

Prosecutor: He paid you a settlement?

Clark: Yes, he did.

Prosecutor: How much was that settlement for?

Defense Attorney (Marc Agnifilo): Objection, Your Honor – relevance.

Judge Subramanian: Sustained. The amount of the settlement is not relevant. The jury will disregard the question.

Prosecutor: Understood, Your Honor. (Turning back to the witness) Ms. Clark, aside from that settlement, did you ever work for Mr. Combs again after 2012?

Clark: I did, actually. After some years, in 2016, I briefly returned to work as Cassie Ventura’s creative director under Mr. Combs’s umbrella.

I know that sounds surprising, but I was really unable to secure long-term work elsewhere in the industry, and eventually Cassie asked me to help her, so I did come back. I worked there until 2018.

Prosecutor: Thank you. No further questions, Your Honor.

(Assistant U.S. Attorney Steiner returns to the prosecution table. Marc Agnifilo, defense counsel for Mr. Combs, rises for cross-examination.)

Judge Subramanian: Mr. Agnifilo, you may proceed with your cross-examination.

Defense (Agnifilo): Ms. Clark, let’s go back to the incident on December 22, 2011. You testified that Mr. Combs had a gun that morning. Did Mr. Combs ever actually point that gun at you?

Clark: He waved the gun around in my presence, but to be accurate, he never pointed it directly at me. It was in his hand the whole time, and I certainly felt threatened by it, but no – he didn’t specifically aim it at my head or anything like that.

Defense: So he never said “I’m going to shoot you,” did he?

Clark: He personally threatened to kill me if I went to the police, yesnpr.org. Gun pointed at me or not, I absolutely believed my life was in danger from him.

Defense: You use the word “kidnapped” to describe what happened. But isn’t it true, Ms. Clark, that you chose to go with Mr. Combs that morning?

You got dressed and went along in the car – you weren’t dragged out in handcuffs. In fact, you’ve said before that part of you went along to try to stop Mr. Combs from doing something rash. Didn’t you volunteer to go to prevent a tragedy?

Clark: (Turning to the jury) I want to be very clear:

I did not go with Mr. Combs of my own free will. I felt I had no safe way to refuse him.

He was at my door with a gun, demanding I go – that is not a voluntary situation.

Yes, I was hoping to prevent him from harming anyone, but I was also extremely afraid. I went along under duress. To call that “volunteering” is simply wrong.

Defense: You could have called the police at some point, couldn’t you? You had your phone and even made calls to Cassie and Ms. London, but you didn’t call 911 at the time, did you?

Clark: I already explained – I was terrified to call the police because Mr. Combs threatened to kill me if I did.

He explicitly said he would retaliate if I went to the authorities. That threat was very real to me. I was in survival mode.

Defense: Let’s talk about those phone calls. You testified that you called Cassie that morning. Isn’t it true that you also called someone else first – the actress Lauren London?

Clark: Yes. I did call Lauren London at some point that morning.

Defense: That wasn’t mentioned in your direct examination. Why did you call Ms. London?

Clark: Lauren was a very close friend of mine at the time – like a sister. I was in a desperate situation and I “just wanted somebody to know where I was,” as I told you and the prosecutors before.

Mr. Combs was storming through Kid Cudi’s house, and honestly I was afraid someone might end up dead – whether Mr. Combs, Kid Cudi, or anyone.

“He was in the house and if he did get killed, I just needed somebody to know where I was in case this all went really bad,”.

(Clark’s voice trembles as she recounts this.) I reached out to Lauren out of fear for my life and everyone’s life. I needed a witness, in case... in case things went horribly wrong.

Defense: (Seeing the witness getting emotional) I understand you were scared. Now, Ms. Clark, let’s discuss your continued employment.

You testified on direct that you left Mr. Combs’s employ in early 2012, but then you returned to work for him later. In fact, you worked for Mr. Combs or his companies on multiple occasions over more than a decade, correct?

Clark: Yes, that’s correct. I had an on-and-off working relationship with Mr. Combs from 2004 until 2018.

Defense: Despite all these alleged threats and violent incidents, you kept coming back to work for Mr. Combs. Isn’t that true?

Clark: Yes. I did go back a few times.

Defense: So I have to ask: If it was so terrible, why go back to him, Ms. Clark? Why continue to work for a man you now describe as a violent criminal?

Clark: (Sighs) It’s a fair question. The truth is, after I was fired in 2012, I could not get a job anywhere else in the music industry.

Mr. Combs is extremely influential. I strongly believe he blacklisted me. I would interview for other positions and get mysteriously rejected. I even noticed Mr. Combs and his mentor Andre Harrell inserting themselves in places I tried to work.

I was essentially frozen out of the business. When I struggled to find stable employment, and Cassie later asked me to work with her, I did end up returning. I needed an income.

Defense: So, to summarize, you went back to work for Mr. Combs because you couldn’t find work elsewhere – not because you actually felt safe or happy to return?

Clark: Correct. I felt I had no other options. Mr. Combs himself had told me…

“You’ll never work again”

When I was firedwashingtonpost.com, and it really felt like that came true. He made sure of it. So yes, I returned out of desperation, not because I condoned what he did.

Defense: One more question, Ms. Clark. Isn’t it true that you harbor resentment toward Cassie Ventura? During your testimony, you seemed to imply Cassie had a role in you losing your job, that she “wanted you gone.” Are you blaming Cassie for your firing?

Prosecutor: Objection. Argumentative.

Judge Subramanian: Sustained. Let’s stick to questions grounded in facts.

Defense: I’ll rephrase. Ms. Clark, after your firing in 2012, didn’t you tell Mr. Combs in an email that Cassie was responsible for you being pushed out?

Clark: (Defensive) I may have vented about Cassie at times. I was hurt and confused. But the fact remains: Mr. Combs was the one who did these things – not Cassie. My personal feelings toward her don’t change what I witnessed him do.

Defense: Understood. Now, regarding your wrongful termination settlement: you did receive a financial settlement from Mr. Combs, correct?

Clark: Yes, I did receive a settlement, as I mentioned.

Defense: In exchange for that payout, you signed some agreement, did you not?

Prosecutor: Objection. (Side-bar) Your Honor, this line of questioning is veering into areas covered by the settlement’s confidentiality. It has limited relevance and risks prejudice.

Judge Subramanian: Sustained. Mr. Agnifilo, move on.

Defense: No further questions, Your Honor.

Judge Subramanian: Ms. Steiner, any redirect?

Prosecutor: Just a few questions, Your Honor. Ms. Clark, defense counsel highlighted that you returned to Mr. Combs’s employ despite everything. To clarify for the jury: after 2012, when you tried to work elsewhere, did you experience any interference from Mr. Combs?

Clark: Yes. As I noted, I firmly believe Mr. Combs “followed me around” in the industrywashingtonpost.com. For example, when I tried to get a job at Creative Artists Agency, I learned Mr. Combs and Mr. Harrell were in communication with people there. I was effectively blackballed. So when I went back to work for him and Cassie, it was under that shadow.

Prosecutor: Understood. One last question: Throughout all of these incidents – the threats, the violence – why have you decided to testify now, here in court?

Clark: Because it’s the right thing to do. I want the truth to be known. For years I lived in fear and stayed silent or was silenced. I know what I saw, I know what he did – to me, to Cassie, to others. I’m here to finally tell the full truth in a court of law, under oath, so that Mr. Combs can be held accountable for his actions.

Prosecutor: Thank you, Ms. Clark. No further questions.

Judge Subramanian: Thank you. Ms. Clark, you may step down.

(Capricorn Clark leaves the witness stand, visibly relieved. The courtroom is quiet as the gravity of her testimony sinks in. Judge Subramanian calls for the next witness, and the trial continues.)

Until next time,

Dancer, Writer, Buddhist.

Sources: The above dialogue is a reconstruction based on verbatim quotes and descriptions reported by multiple reputable outlets covering the trial, including The Washington Post, NPR, The Los Angeles Times, and Essence. Key portions of Clark’s testimony – such as her account of the December 2011 incident involving Kid Cudi and Cassie, earlier threats and coercion by Combs, and the cross-examination exchanges – are drawn from direct quotes in those reportswashingtonpost.com washingtonpost.com npr.org latimes.com essence.com, ensuring an accurate and factual portrayal of the courtroom proceedings.