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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Inga Parkel

Diddy’s children break silence in support of father amid sex trafficking charges: ‘We stand united’

Sean “Diddy” Combs’s children have released a statement in support of their father, who remains in jail after being arrested last September on charges of federal racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The 54-year-old music mogul and father of seven, who has pled not guilty to the charges, is being held without bail in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits trial, which is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.

In a collaborative Instagram post shared on Tuesday (October 22), Combs’s eldest child, 33-year-old Quincy, wrote: “The past month has devastated our family. Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media. We stand united, supporting you every step of the way.

“We hold onto the truth, knowing it will prevail, and nothing will break the strength of our family. WE MISS YOU & LOVE YOU DAD.”

The post, which includes a photo of the entire family sitting on an inflatable bounce house, listed Quincy’s five siblings – Justin, 30, Christian, 26, Chance, 18, and twins Jessie and D’Lila, 17 – as collaborators.

Quincy is the son of late actor and model Kim Porter from a previous relationship, and he was later adopted by Combs. The former couple went on to welcome their son Christian and their twin daughters. Meanwhile, the rapper also shares his son Justin with stylist Misa Hylton, and daughter Chance with Sarah Chapman. In October 2022, the rapper welcomed his youngest child, daughter Love, with model Dana Tran.

The children’s statement comes weeks after Combs’s mother, Janice Small Combs, slammed the “public lynching” of her son.

In a lengthy message shared on behalf of the Combs family, through her attorney Natlie G Figgers, Small Combs argued that her son is not “the monster they have painted him to be.”

While she acknowledged that Combs has “made mistakes in the past” – citing the 2016 surveillance footage that emerged in May, showing the rapper kicking and punching his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura – Small Combs said: “To bear witness [to] 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.”

She implored fans, colleagues, friends, and the public to “not judge him before you’ve had the chance to hear his side.”

Combs’s legal troubles began in November 2023, when Ventura sued him for allegedly beating, raping and trafficking her throughout their 10-year relationship. On May 19, Combs released a video apologizing for his actions in the surveillance footage, calling his behavior “inexcusable” and saying he “takes full responsibility for his actions in the video”.

The lawsuit was ultimately settled outside of court for an undisclosed amount of money, one day after it was filed.

He has since been hit with nearly two dozen more lawsuits from several others accusing him of sex crimes. Combs’s legal team has continued to deny all of the accusations made against the rapper, calling him “an innocent man with nothing to hide.”

“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney’s Office,” his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told The Independent via email following his September arrest.

His attorneys have since filed a petition to have the alleged victims in his lawsuits identified so that they can prepare their defense. They also recently filed a motion to gag the alleged victims, arguing that their statements could prejudice a potential jury against Combs.

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