Rapper Kid Cudi is opening up about his experience testifying at Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in May. The Pursuit of Happiness rapper (real name Scott Mescudi) told Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper that he "hated every minute of it," marking the first time he has spoken out about his time at Combs' trial.
Mescudi said that he turned down testifying twice but had to take the stand once he was subpoenaed. The 41-year-old rapper previously dated Cassie Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend, in 2011, and testified about their brief relationship that took place 14 years ago."I was just there because I had to be," Mescudi told Cooper. "I hated every minute of it. I did not want to do it."But he did make it clear that he wanted to "support Cassie," who was a key witness in Combs' trial. Story continues below advertisement Mescudi took the stand on May 22 and testified that Combs broke into his Hollywood Hills home in 2011 after finding out he was dating his ex-girlfriend, Ventura, and said he was sure Combs was behind the firebombing of his car weeks later.
The Grammy-winning rapper told Cooper that he felt "calm" on the stand."I'm thinking about like, 'What am I wearing, man? Do I have to be like [in a] suit or something?' I was like, 'Man, f- this s-. This is what I'm wearing today. I'm going to this f-- s- in this. I'm not dressing up for this s-.' Like, wear some hard bottoms. I'm wearing some Solomon's, and I'm coming in with my Levi's and my leather jacket and that's it, you know?" he said, describing the outfit he wore to the federal courthouse in Manhattan. View image in full screen Rapper Kid Cudi, centre, arrives at federal court for the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, in New York, on May 22, 2025. AP Photo/Richard Drew Mescudi spoke about coming to terms with the fact that he was there to testify in support of Ventura. Story continues below advertisement "I thought about, when I was up there. I'm here to support Cassie, and Cassie is my friend, you know, and I love her, and I wanna see her do well," he said."And when I saw her get married, I was so happy for her, you know, that she found someone, her person. When I saw that she was having kids, I was like, 'Oh, this is so awesome.' You know what I mean?" Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. He said that he's "always just wanted to see her thrive and do well and be happy because I know she was living a nightmare, and I just was there to support her." More on Entertainment More videos 5 things we learned from Taylor Swift's 'New Heights' podcast appearance White House cage fight? UFC boss Dana White says it's happening in 2026 Jimmy Kimmel reveals his Italian citizenship, hints at move amid Trump feud Feature film 'One Perfect Date' wraps production in Regina The Morning Show: August 14 Huddle Up with the BC Lions: Punter Carl Meyer Grou Tyme Festival returns to Halifax The Beatles and Beyond: 5 Reasons Sir Paul McCartney is a Living Legend "That's what kind of gave me peace with it when I sat down in that chair. It was just about, 'Oh man, I gotta like, hold homegirl down' and like look out for her," the Day 'n' Nite rapper added.
Cooper asked Cudi about the period of his life when he was dating Ventura."It was crazy, man," he said, before taking a long pause. "In the moment, it was just crazy, like I had a hard time understanding if it was reality. I was like, 'Am I in a movie? What the f- is going on?'""It was just chaotic and intense," he added. "And, you know, I wasn't like, I was already out of my mind dealing with my own personal s- so I was really just like, f- it. I was just willing to walk into the fire." Story continues below advertisement View this post on InstagramA post shared by CALL HER DADDY (@callherdaddy)In another interview on CBS Mornings, Mescudi discussed the public response to his testimony."The backlash was swift. I had a lot of people that supported me, but there were a few that had some opinions about it," Mescudi said. "It was interesting because I'm not no street dude. I don't live by no code, you know? So I guess it's because I'm a rapper. People just threw that on me. But, like, my music has never been about that and I have never tried to pretend I was about that." 0:56 Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial: Rapper Kid Cudi arrives to court to testify Trending Now Is now the time to overhaul Canada's Old Age Security? Why some urge yes Wine, candy and room service: How Ottawa spent $170,000 on Canadian ISIS women Speaking at Combs' federal sex trafficking trial in Manhattan, Mescudi said that while he and Ventura were dating, he took her to a West Hollywood hotel to get her away from Combs. While there, he said, he got a call from Combs' assistant Capricorn Cla