Singer says ‘Diddy’ threatened her with death

NEW YORK (AP):

Singer Dawn Richard told jurors at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial yesterday that the hip-hop mogul threatened to kill her if she told anyone she saw him physically abusing his longtime girlfriend.

Richard testified that Combs made the threat the day after she witnessed the Bad Boy Records founder punch and kick Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura after taking a swing at her with a skillet. Richard said he told her and another woman who saw the attack that "we could go missing" if they didn't stay quiet.

Assistant US Attorney Mitzi Steiner asked Richard what she took "we could go missing" to mean.

"That we could die," Richard responded, saying she was shocked because all of this happened just as she was beginning to record with Diddy - Dirty Money, a musical trio with Combs and another R&B singer.

Richard disclosed the alleged threat as she returned to the witness stand to kick off the second week of testimony in Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan federal court.

Combs, 55, is accused of exploiting his entertainment powerbroker status to abuse women, including Cassie, through threats and violence. He has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers argue prosecutors compiled proof of domestic violence, but not the federal crimes charged.