Janice Smalls Combs, mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs, is defending her son despite the growing legal troubles Diddy faces as he awaits the start of a federal sex trafficking trial.
The hip-hop billionaire was indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution earlier last month. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Diddy also faces countless sexual assault lawsuits from a sizable group of 120 people who have come together to sue the former hip-hop mogul for misconduct, CNN reported.
Despite the legal and public pressure around Diddy, Janice posted a statement to Instagram on Sunday through her attorney to show support for her son.
“I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs,” she wrote. “It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies . . . 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.”
Janice continued, "Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence."
Regarding the video of Diddy physically assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016, his mother comments, “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."
"I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not," Janice furthers. "He has made mistakes in his past as we all have."
Diddy has been denied bail twice and will remain imprisoned until the unscheduled trial begins.
