Sean 'Diddy' Combs' mother has come forward in defence of her son, who is facing trials for sex trafficking, racketeering, and several other allegations of sexual assault.
Janice Combs released a statement through her lawyer, Natlie G. Figgers, which read, "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. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.
Apart from defending her son, she also mentioned that he has made mistakes and referred to surveillance footage that showed him beating his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura in 2016. "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," she continued in the statement.
"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," the statement further reads.
She also mentioned why she feels her son settled with Ventura out of court in November last year "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 said, adding, "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."
Cassie filed the lawsuit against her ex last November, accusing him of rape, sex trafficking, and repeated physical abuse.
She also defended him in several other sexual assault allegations, saying, "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 showed us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes." She added that the allegations against her son are "motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice."
"Watching the world make jokes and laugh at my son's life crumbling before our eyes is something I can never forget," Janice said in the statement. "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 continued.
Janice raised certain other points regarding Diddy's latest accusers, saying, "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 said.
She added that "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. 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."
She concluded, "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," reported Page Six.
Rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs was arrested in New York City amid a federal sex trafficking investigation in September.
Combs has been in the headlines for a long time now. Most recently his former bandmate Dawn Richard filed a sexual assault lawsuit against him.
Richard's suit included claims of battery, false imprisonment, withholding millions of dollars in unpaid royalties and wages, as well as stealing her copyrighted works.
Richard's complaint was at least the eighth brought against him since his former girlfriend Casandra Ventura filed a lawsuit detailing years of physical and sexual abuse last year. That action quickly settled but led to other accusers, including Liza Gardner, Joi Dickerson-Neal and Crystal McKinney, bringing similar complaints.
In March, federal law enforcement raided Diddy's homes as part of an investigation into human trafficking.