Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ mother is coming to her son’s defense as more and more sexual assault allegations continue to pile up.
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The disgraced music mogul’s mother, Janice Small Combs, released a statement on Sunday through her attorney, Natlie G. Figgers, and on behalf of the Combs family, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In her statement, Janice said that while her son is not perfect and has “made mistakes in the past, as we all have,” he is not guilty of the plentiful allegations against him.
“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” Janice began in her statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “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. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
Janice’s statement comes less than a week after it was revealed that Diddy will face lawsuits from 120 additional accusers in addition to the multiple he was already facing. The Bad Boy founder was first sued by his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura almost a year ago for rape and abuse, and while he denied the allegations, Combs settled the suit within 24 hours.
Months later, hotel footage surfaced showing proof of him physically assaulting her, for which he apologized in a now-deleted Instagram video.
In Janice’s statement, she acknowledged that her son lied about the incident, but went on to explain why she thinks he did so.
“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,” her 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.”
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Combs’ mother went on to argue that just because he lied about that one situation does not make him guilty of the “repulsive allegations” 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,’” she wrote. “History has showed us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes.”
Janice also said that she thinks the dozens of allegations are coming from people who just want a payday after seeing the $30 million Cassie got in her settlement.
“These lies thrown at him are motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice,” Combs continued in her statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “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. False allegations of sexual assault thwart true victims of sexual violence from getting the justice they deserve. To make matters worse, the federal government is now using these lies to prosecute my son.”
Janice continued, “This injustice has been unbearable for our family. 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.”
