NOTE: The following article contains disturbing content. Please read at your own discretion.
The mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs wants the world to know her son — who has been indicted on federal sex trafficking charges and faces over 120 allegations of sexual assault — is “not a monster.”
Janice Small Combs provided a lengthy statement to The Hollywood Reporter on behalf of the Combs family on Sunday.
She said Diddy is not guilty of the numerous allegations currently against him, but has “made mistakes in the past, as we all have.” (For his part, the music mogul has denied all of the accusations against him and pleaded not guilty in court.)
Through her lawyer, Natlie G. Figgers, she likened the growing number of legal claims against her son, and the intense public interest, to “a public lynching.”
She said it has been “agonizing to watch the world turn against my son” without hearing his side of the story. Janice’s statement began: “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,” she continued. “Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
Janice speculated Diddy’s numerous accusers are falsely looking for a “quick payday” following the settlement of a lawsuit filed by Diddy’s former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, last November.
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Ventura said she endured years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Diddy. He initially denied Ventura’s allegations but later publicly apologized after surveillance video showed the musician launch a brutal physical assault against Ventura in a hotel in 2016.
Janice said Diddy “may not have been entirely truthful about certain things,” namely his assault on Ventura. She maintained she does not want to portray her son as a perfect person, “because he is not.”
“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,” she wrote. “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 said many people have historically been wrongfully convicted and later exonerated “because they didn’t fit the image of what this society considers to be a ‘good person.’”
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She said the “injustice” of her son’s prosecution has been “unbearable” for the Combs family.
Janice wrote: “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 asked people to withhold their judgment on Diddy until he can share his perspective.
“My son is not the monster they have painted him to be, and he deserves the chance to tell his side,” the statement concludes. “I can only pray that I am alive to see him speak his truth and be vindicated.”
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Diddy was arrested last month following a raid of his Los Angeles and Miami mansions by U.S. federal agents.
A federal indictment unsealed Sept. 17 revealed Diddy was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The charges are tied to so-called “freak offs,” coerced sex acts that Diddy allegedly orchestrated and recorded. The “freak offs” often involved narcotic drugs including ketamine, ecstasy and GHB to keep victims “obedient and compliant,” officials allege.
Last week, Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee said he’s representing 120 accusers who have shared dozens of new claims against the musician, including rape and sexual assault dating back to 1991. Among the accusers are women, men and minors.
Diddy has denied all new allegations against him and maintains his innocence.
He has been denied bail twice and remains behind bars.
Diddy is next due in court on Wednesday, where his lawyers are again expected to request bail.
— With files from Global News’ Michelle Butterfield
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— If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
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