Janice Smalls Combs defended her son, Sean “Diddy” Combs, in her first public statement since his high-profile arrest last month for charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” she wrote in the statement released by the law office of Natlie Figgers. “To bear witness [to] what seems like a public lynching of my son before he’s had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words.”
Diddy remains in federal custody in New York after having his bail attempts denied. He pleaded not guilty to charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy after he was arrested in Manhattan on Sept. 16.
“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,” his mother said, noting how her son was “not entirely truthful” when he denied some of the public allegations his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, made against him in a lawsuit last year.
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The music mogul settled Ventura’s lawsuit against him, which alleged abuse in the form of beatings, provision of drugs, forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them as well as rape.
Diddy originally denied all of the allegations until a surveillance video from 2016 appearing to show him physically assaulting Ventura in a hotel resurfaced a few months later. He then posted a video apology to his Instagram, stating his behavior in the footage was “inexcusable.”
His mother says she believes Ventura’s lawsuit had a “ricochet effect” for the federal government to indict him.
“It is important to recognize that none of us, regardless of our status, are immune to fear or mistakes,” she wrote. “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.”
Ventura’s lawsuit and the recent charges against Diddy have put a harsh spotlight on the music mogul’s alleged life behind closed doors. Court documents stated investigators found over 1,000 bottles of baby oil during raids of his homes in Los Angeles and Miami, claiming this as evidence of his now-infamous “freak off” parties that allegedly included drugs and prostitutes.
Since his arrest, more alleged victims have come forward with lawsuits against Diddy as he awaits trial for the federal charges.
Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who has represented alleged victims of other high-profile figures accused of sexual assault like NFL player Deshaun Watson, said last week his law group had been retained by at least 120 men and women to pursue civil cases against Diddy.
“I ask his supporters, fans, colleagues, friends, and the public, to not judge him before you’ve had the chance to hear his side,” his mother continued in her statement. “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.”