Live updates: Kid Cudi expected to testify in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex-trafficking trial
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Kid Cudi Testifies at Diddy Sex Trafficking Trial
Above: Kid Cudi, real name Scott Mescudi, leaves the federal court after appearing at the Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial in New York City on May 22, 2025. Image copyright: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The testimony from Mescudi adds weight and context to the troubling list of allegations Combs has been accused of. Prosecutors have argued that Combs is a vengeful and violent individual prepared to take extreme actions in pursuit of his criminal enterprise.
Narrative B
The testimonies coming out in Combs' trial are truly heinous, but it's important to remember that it's not only the individual on trial, but the whole of hip-hop culture. With the industry shaken by his alleged crimes, the dramatic fall of this archetypal hip-hop star will have ramifications for a cultural movement that has long tolerated misogyny and homophobia despite the progress made by the rest of society.