Rapper Kid Cudi says his Porsche 911 was set on fire weeks after Sean 'Diddy' Combs broke into his home

Rapper Kid Cudi told a Manhattan federal jury on Thursday that Sean "Diddy" Combs targeted him — burglarizing his Hollywood home, traumatizing his dog and firebombing his Porsche — in a jealous fit after the musician started dating the Bad Boy Records founder’s ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura in 2011.

Two-time Grammy Award winner Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, took the stand for an hour and a half in the ongoing racketeering and sex-trafficking trial against Combs, at one point likening his romantic rival to a "Marvel supervillain."

Prosecutors noted that setting fire to the sports car, a 911 Cabriolet, was part of a pattern of racketeering behavior by Combs between 2004 and 2024 that also included kidnapping, drug possession and distribution, witness tampering, forced labor and transporting male escorts for the purpose of prostitution.

They charged that Combs, 55, relied on his global business empire and its employees to fund and set up "freak-offs," elaborately staged sex benders in which Ventura and another unnamed girlfriend were forced to have intercourse with male prostitutes.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His legal team has acknowledged that their client was a womanizer and domestic abuser with a drug and alcohol problem, but they say that these are not federal crimes.

"There may be multiple points at this trial where you think, I think he is a jerk and I think he is kind of mean," defense attorney Teny Geragos said during open arguments. "But he is not charged with being mean. He is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise."

Ventura, a pop singer who performed under the stage name Cassie, testified last week that she felt like a "sex worker" during her tumultuous decadelong relationship with Combs. She said that she contracted with Bad Boy for a 10-album recording deal, but ended up spending much of her time fulfilling the billionaire music entrepreneur’s sexual needs.

In December 2011, she had broken up with Combs, but continued to do freak-offs because "that was a job," she said.

Cudi told the court that he and Ventura had recorded together in 2010 at Combs' request and became friends, eventually dating in late 2011.

"She and Sean Combs had some problems and they weren’t dating anymore," Cudi said, but it was during a freak-off with Ventura that Combs found out about the relationship after he looked through her phone, Ventura said. He flew into a rage, put a corkscrew between the fingers in his fist and lunged at her, she said. He also threatened to torch Cudi’s car, she said.

Ventura testified that Combs beat and kicked her, causing bruises all over her body.

Cudi said Ventura called him at 5:30 a.m., frantic and asking for his help. He told the jury that he took her to the Sunset Marquis hotel to hide her from Combs.

"I thought it was safe and I just wanted to put her somewhere that she was off the radar," Cudi said.

That’s when he got a call from the record producer’s assistant, who said Combs had broken into Cudi’s house.

The rapper sped over in his Porsche and called Combs as he drove.

"I’m over here waiting for you," Cudi said Combs told him.

But by the time Cudi arrived, the house was empty, but there were signs that someone had been inside.

He told the court that his security cameras had been skewed to different angles than he had set them, and Christmas gifts for his family had been opened. Some had locked his dog in the bathroom, he said.

Cudi said that the dog was forever changed after that episode.

“[He was] very jittery and kind of like on edge all the time," he told the court.

At first, Cudi challenged Combs to come over for a fight.

"I was looking for him. I wanted to confront him. I wanted to fight him," he said. He then thought it would be wiser to call the police, he said.

Ventura invited Cudi to her parents’ home in New London, Connecticut, for Christmas, but by the New Year, she was back with Combs.

A week into January, Cudi's dog’s babysitter called him to tell him that someone had set fire to his Cabriolet.

Manhattan prosecutor Emily Johnson showed photos of the charred sports car.

"It looks like the top of my Porsche was cut open," Cudi said, describing the photo shown to the jury. "That’s where they inserted the Molotov cocktail."

He said he reached out to Combs because "it was just getting out of hand."

The two agreed to meet the day after the firebombing at the Soho House in Los Angeles.

Cudi said that when he walked into the high-rise conference room, Combs was looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows over the view of Beverly Hills below.

"Sean Combs was standing there with his arms behind his back like a Marvel supervillain," Cudi said.

The two men discussed the roller-coaster romantic drama, eventually shaking hands.

But Cudi was still upset that his car had been totaled in the arson, so while their hands were still clasped, he said, he asked, "What are we doing about my car?"

Combs said he didn’t know what he was talking about.

Defense attorney Brian Steel pointed out during cross-examination that Combs had never been charged with the car fire.

The trial continues Tuesday.