The federal sex-trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs resumed on Tuesday, with his former employee testifying that the music mogul repeatedly threatened her and once forced her to accompany him to the home of rapper Scott Mescudi, known as Kid Cudi, who Combs allegedly said he was going to “kill”.

Combs, 55, is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs was arrested in September 2024 and has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

On Tuesday, the prosecution called Capricorn Clark, a former employee of Combs, to the witness stand.

Clark, who started working for Combs as a personal assistant in 2004, said that on her first day on the job, Combs became enraged upon learning that she had once worked for his rival, the record producer Suge Knight. Clark testified that Combs told her that “if anything happened he would have to kill me”, she said.

Clark also described another time where she was subjected to five days of lie-detector tests after three pieces of jewelry went missing.

She said that she was taken by a bodyguard working for Combs to a locked vacant Manhattan office space each day where an unnamed man would administer the tests and told her that if she failed, “they’re going to throw you in the East River”.

Clark testified that she left the job in 2006, after she said Combs physically pushed her after he heard that she had told another employee that she was dissatisfied with her job. She later returned to work for Combs.

The prosecution asked Clark about what happened when Combs discovered in December 2011 that his on-again, off-again girlfriend – the singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura – was dating the rapper Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi.

Clark testified that Combs showed up at her house, “furious” with a gun in his hand, and asked her why she hadn’t told him about the relationship between Ventura and Mescudi.

Clark alleged that Combs, while holding the gun, then kidnapped her to go to Mescudi’s house with him, allegedly telling her: “Get dressed, we’re going to go kill” Mescudi, despite her protesting. (Combs’s lawyers have denied that Clark was kidnapped.)

Clark claimed that she was then made to get into a car with Combs. One of his security guards was driving, and there was a gun in Combs’s lap, Clark said.

When they got to Mescudi’s house, Mescudi was not home. Clark testified that Combs and his security guard entered while she stayed in the car and called Ventura on a disposable cellphone to tell her what was happening.

When Combs returned, Clark says that he directed her to call Ventura and to say that he would not release Clark until Ventura came.

Ventura was picked up, and they returned to Combs’s home, where Combs allegedly told them not to speak to the police. He also allegedly said that they needed to get Mescudi to not tell the police he was involved.

Clark also testified that she witnessed Combs kick and beat Ventura when she arrived at his home that day.

Clark told the court that she was fired in 2012. And she said that, after she was terminated, Combs allegedly told her that she would “never work again”. He also told her that “all these people weren’t my friends and he would make me kill myself”, Clark recalled.

Clark said she later received a settlement from Combs’s attorneys over allegations of wrongful termination.

In 2016, Clark said she returned to work for Combs as Ventura’s creative director, explaining that she had struggled to find other employment. She testified that Combs had final approval over everything when it came to Ventura’s career.

During cross-examination, Combs’s lawyer emphasized Clark’s repeated returns to work for Combs over the years, pointing out that even as recently last year, after federal investigators had already begun investigating Combs, Clark met with his legal team and expressed interest in working as his chief of staff.

Combs’s lawyer also challenged the kidnapping allegations, suggesting that Clark voluntarily accompanied Combs to Mescudi’s home in December 2011 in an attempt to prevent her boss from doing “something stupid”. The defense lawyer claimed that Clark had told Combs’s lawyers this during the meeting with Combs’s attorneys last year.

Clark responded that she did not recall making that comment and insisted that she did not want to accompany Combs that day.

Clark’s testimony wrapped just after 3.30pm ET on Tuesday and the court adjourned for the day. Prosecutors plan to call four witnesses on Wednesday.

Clark’s testimony came after Mescudi took the stand last week and alleged that Combs broke into his home in 2011 after learning about his brief relationship with Ventura.

Mescudi told the court how, a few weeks after the apparent break-in, his car was set on fire with a molotov cocktail, and that he believed Combs was responsible. Combs and his lawyers have denied the allegation.

To date, more than 15 witnesses have testified so far in this trial. In addition to Mescudi, witnesses have included singer Dawn Richard, two of Combs’s former assistants, Ventura’s former best friend, Ventura’s mother, an exotic dancer, a male revue manager, a hotel security officer, a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a forensic psychologist, a makeup artist who worked with Combs and Ventura, the general manager of a Beverly Hills hotel, and a computer forensics agent from HSI.

Ventura, the prosecution’s key witness, spent four days on the stand detailing years of physical and emotional abuse she says she endured by Combs during their 11-year on-again, off-again relationship.

She testified that Combs orchestrated and directed drug-fueled sex performances with male sex workers – encounters that he referred to as “freak-offs”. She also testified that he coerced and blackmailed her into participating.

Attorneys for Combs have tried to undermine Ventura’s credibility and have sought to portray her as a willing and consenting participant in the freak-offs.

The trial is expected to continue for about six more weeks. If convicted, Combs could spend the rest of his life in prison.

• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html