Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother, Janice Combs, broke her silence after her son’s arrest for 𝑠e𝑥 trafficking and racketeering.
In a statement shared Sunday by her lawyer, Natlie G. Figgers, Janice said that the 54-year-old rapper is innocent of the 𝑠e𝑥ual abuse allegations and is not a “monster.”
“I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs. It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” Janice said.
Sean Combs and Janice Combs at the 2011 Jackie Robinson Foundation Awards Gala. Stephen Lovekin
Janice and Sean Combs at the BET Honors 2010. MEGA
“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,” she continued.
Janice explained that Diddy — who has been denied bail twice since his Sept. 16 arrest as he remains behind bars in Brooklyn — isn’t “perfect” and noted that he’s “made mistakes in his past.”
Janice Combs’ statement. Instagram/figgerslaw
Janice Combs’ statement continued. Instagram/figgerslaw
“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,” she went on, referring to the 2016 footage published earlier this year showing Diddy physically assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel.
Sean Combs kisses his mom’s cheek at “Dear Mama: A Love Letter to Moms” in LA in May 2018. Invision
Before the video came out, Diddy denied Ventura’s accusations of 𝑠e𝑥ual assault and settled a lawsuit that she filed against him in one day. He later apologized for his behavior after the video leaked, though he didn’t acknowledge Ventura, 38, by name.
Janice’s statement continued, “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. 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.”
Janice Combs at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. WireImage
“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 continued. “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.’ History has showed us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes.”
Janice and Sean Combs at the BET Awards 2022. Getty Images for BET
“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,” she added.
Janice blasted Diddy’s accusers for being “motivated” by “financial gain, and not justice.” She also blamed the federal government for “using these lies to prosecute my son.”
“This injustice has been unbearable for our family,” Janice went on. “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.”
Janice Combs and Sean Combs at the 2023 MTV VMAs. Getty Images
Sean “Diddy” Combs with his mom in LA on March 26, 2019. GC Images
Diddy is being charged with 𝑠e𝑥 trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
In a bombshell indictment unsealed last month, prosecutors claimed that the famous music producer carried out a “decades-long pattern of physical and 𝑠e𝑥ual violence against multiple victims.”
Diddy allegedly orchestrated elaborate, drug-laced “Freak Off” 𝑠e𝑥 sessions — which sometimes lasted for days — where he forced women into 𝑠e𝑥 acts with male prostitutes while he masturbated and secretly filmed, prosecutors alleged.
Diddy performing at the 2023 VMAs. Variety via Getty Images
The “Coming Home” rapper has also been accused of 𝑠e𝑥ually assaulting more than 100 people, including a 9-year-old.
Diddy has pleaded not guilty on all counts. His next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday.
A sketch of Diddy with his legal team in federal court in Manhattan on Sept. 18. REUTERS
His lawyer has insisted their client is innocent.
“Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he 𝑠e𝑥ually abused anyone, including minors,” Diddy’s attorney said in a statement.
“He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
