Janice Combs, mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs, spoke out on Sunday, expressing that she was left “devastated and profoundly saddened” by the serious allegations against her son. This statement was shared with Fox News Digital.
Diddy was arrested on September 16 and charged the following day with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He entered a not guilty plea just hours after an indictment detailing the alleged sex crimes was unsealed. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and potentially life behind bars.
“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” Janice Combs wrote. “To bear witness to what seems like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to articulate. Like every human being, my son deserves his day in court, to share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
She continued, “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.”
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Janice Combs broke her silence Sunday on allegations against her son, Sean “Diddy” Combs. (Getty Images)
“I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not,” Janice Combs 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.”
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She added, “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.”
“I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not. He has made mistakes in his past, as we all have.”
Surveillance video taken from a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 allegedly showed the billionaire publicly assaulting his then girlfriend Cassie Ventura. In the footage, Sean Combs “kicked, dragged, and threw a vase at a woman as she was attempting to leave,” according to the indictment. “When a member of the hotel security staff intervened, Combs attempted to bribe the staff member to ensure silence.”
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“It is important to recognize that none of us, regardless of our status, are immune to fear or mistakes,” Janice Combs stated. “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. 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 shown us how people can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes.”
Janice Combs expressed deep sorrow, saying, “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 case.”
Janice Combs urged supporters to be cautious with information while her son is waiting for his day in court. (Getty Images)
Janice Combs believes that some individuals are seeking “financial gain” by telling lies about her son, rather than pursuing true justice. “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,” she stated. “False allegations of sexual assault thwart true victims of sexual violence from getting the justice they deserve.”
She accused the federal government of employing similar tactics “to prosecute my son,” asserting that the injustice has been “unbearable” for their family.
Diddy has seven children (three kids not pictured) with four different women. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)
“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 lamented, urging supporters not to “judge him before you’ve had the chance to hear his side.”
“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,” she added.