Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ mother Janice Smalls Combs has issued a statement in her son’s defense amid his sex trafficking indictment and more than 100 sexual misconduct allegations against him.
‘I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs,’ Janice, 84, told Dailymail.com in a statement through her lawyer Natlie G. Figgers. ‘It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies.
‘To bear witness what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words.’
Janice – who was hospitalized this past summer amid her son’s legal issues – conceded that Diddy had not told the truth about being violent with Cassie Ventura, as captured in a March 2016 surveillance clip filmed at a Los Angeles hotel that publicly surfaced earlier this year.
Janice said that by rapidly settling Cassie’s lawsuit suit late last year – a day after she filed it – Diddy opened himself up to litigation from others to go after him for financial gains.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ mother Janice Smalls Combs has issued a statement in her son’s defense. Pictured in 2023 in New Jersey
Janice conceded that Diddy had not told the truth about being violent with Cassie. Pictured in a 2016 incident in LA
‘I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not,’ Janice said. ‘He has made mistakes in his past, as we all have. My son may not have been entirely truthful about certain things, such as denying he has ever gotten violent with an ex-girlfriend when the hotel’s surveillance showed otherwise.
‘Sometimes, the truth and a lie become so closely intertwined that it becomes terrifying to admit one part of the story, especially when that truth is outside the norm or is too complicated to be believed.’
Read Moresaid those factors were decisive in the Grammy Award-winning artist, 54, settling the suit with Cassie last year.
‘This is why I believe my son’s civil legal team opted to settle the ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit instead of contesting it until the end, resulting in a ricochet effect as the federal government used this decision against my son by interpreting it as an admission of guilt,’ she said.
Janice said that the clip of Diddy’s violent 2016 beating of Cassie going public in May triggered a feeding frenzy of dishonest opportunists seeking to pile on her embattled son for monetary gain.
‘These lies thrown at him are motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice,’ Janice said. ‘These individuals saw how quickly my son’s civil legal team settled his ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit, so they believe they can receive a quick payday by falsely accusing my son.’
Janice said that ‘false allegations of sexual assault thwart true victims of sexual violence from getting the justice they deserve.’
Janice admitted that her son has made mistakes, but said that his transgressions are not what they have been made out to be.
Diddy’s mother said that by rapidly settling Cassie’s lawsuit suit late last year, Diddy opened himself up to litigation from others to go after him for financial gains
Janice said, ‘My son may not have been entirely truthful about certain things, such as denying he has ever gotten violent with an ex-girlfriend when the hotel’s surveillance showed otherwise’
Cassie sported multiple marks in the wake of the violent exchange. Pictured March 7, 2016 in LA
‘It is important to recognize that none of us, regardless of our status, are immune to fear or mistakes,’ Janice said. ‘Not being entirely straightforward about one issue does not mean my son is guilty of the repulsive allegations and the grave charges leveled against him.
Janice pointed out past people who have been falsely accused and convicted of crimes due to their reputations.
‘Many individuals who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated had their freedom taken from them not because they were guilty of the crimes they were accused of, but because they didn’t fit the image of what this society considers to be a “good person,”‘ she said. ‘History has showed us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes.’
Janice said that she is heartbroken seeing her son’s loss of freedom, damage to his reputation and lack of support from the public without yet stating his case.
‘The worst part of this ordeal is watching my beloved son be stripped of his dignity, not for what he did, but for what people choose to believe about him,’ she said.
Janice continued, ‘Watching the world make jokes and laugh at my son’s life crumbling before our eyes is something I can never forget.
‘It is truly agonizing to watch the world turn against my son so quickly and easily over lies and misconceptions, without ever hearing his side or affording him the opportunity to present his side.’
Janice said that ‘like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.’
She said of her son, ‘It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies.’ Pictured September 2023 in New Jersey
Diddy and Janice Combs attend the 2022 BET Awards on June 26, 2022 in LA
Diddy’s mother spoke out amid his sex trafficking indictment and more than 100 sexual misconduct allegations against him. Pictured in NYC in 2018
Janice said that the untrue rumors surrounding her son have led to the federal government’s significant probe of him, and subsequent prosecution.
‘To make matters worse, the federal government is now using these lies to prosecute my son,’ she said. ‘This injustice has been unbearable for our family.’
Janice urged Diddy’s ‘supporters, fans, colleagues, friends, and the public, to not judge him before you’ve had the chance to hear his side’ of the story.
She added, ‘I beg you to think about those who have been wrongfully persecuted, to remember that not everyone who has made mistakes in life deserves to have their entire existence judged by a single action or a few mistakes.’
Janice wrapped up in writing, ‘My son is not the monster they have painted him to be, and he deserves the chance to tell his side. I can only pray that I am alive to see him speak his truth and be vindicated.’
Janice spoke out less than a week after an attorney said Tuesday he is representing 120 accusers who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against the hip-hop mogul.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee said he expects lawsuits to be filed within the next month, with most expected to be filed in New York and Los Angeles. Buzbee described the victims as 60 males and 60 females, and that 25 were minors at the time of the alleged misconduct. One individual alleged he was 9 years old when he was abused, Buzbee said. The allegations cover a period from 1991 to this year.
‘This type of sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation should never happen in the United States or anywhere else. This should have never been allowed to go on for so long. This conduct has created a mass of individuals who are injured, scared and scarred,’ Buzbee said at a news conference.
Diddy and his mother pictured in 2010 in Washington, D.C.
Janice and Diddy pictured at his ‘White Party’ in 2009 in LA
Janice and Diddy pictured on the red carpet at the 2008 Emmys in LA
Following the announcement of the accusations in Texas, Erica Wolff, an attorney for Combs, said the performer ‘cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.
‘That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,’ Wolff said in a statement. ‘He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.’
Buzbee said more than 3,280 individuals contacted his firm and alleged they were victimized by Combs and that after vetting the allegations, his firm decided to represent 120 people. Other cases are still being reviewed. He said some of his clients have spoken with the FBI.
The individuals that Buzbee´s firm is representing are from more than 25 states, with the majority from California, New York, Georgia and Florida.
The abuse that´s being alleged took place mostly at parties held in New York, California and Florida where individuals were given drinks that were laced with drugs, Buzbee said.
Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee on Tuesday held a news conference at his office announcing that he’s representing 120 accusers who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Diddy
Some of the alleged conduct took place at auditions where ‘many times, especially young people, people wanting to break into the industry were coerced into this type of conduct in the promise of being made a star,’ Buzbee said.
Combs, 54, has been locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since pleading not guilty September 17 to federal charges that he used his ‘power and prestige’ to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers in events dubbed ‘Freak Offs.’
Other alleged victims have already filed lawsuits against Combs that include allegations of sexual assault.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. His attorney said he is innocent and will fight to clear his name.
Combs is one of the best-known music executives, producers and performers across hip-hop, having won three Grammys and worked with artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112. He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, the influential fashion line Sean John, a vodka brand and the Revolt TV network. He sold off his stake in the latter company in June of this year.
Buzbee has also represented women who accused NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and misconduct.
With Associated Press
