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Louise Thomas
Editor
Sean “Diddy” Combs’s mother, Janice Small Combs, has spoken out in defense of her son, arguing that he’s not “the monster they have painted him to be.”
The disgraced media mogul, 54, remains behind bars after he was arrested in mid-September on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He’s been denied bail twice.
Small Combs has since addressed her son’s alleged crimes in a statement shared on behalf of the Combs family through her attorney Natlie G Figgers.
“I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs. It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” she began. “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.”
She went on to acknowledge that Combs has “made mistakes in the past,” citing the appalling 2016 surveillance footage that emerged in May showing the rapper kicking and punching his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
“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. “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.”
Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in 2023, alleging that she was trafficked, raped and beaten by Combs on many occasions over their 10-year relationship.
The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount of money the following day.
Combs has since been hit with a dozen more lawsuits from several others accusing him of sex crimes. It was recently revealed that more than 100 people have planned to file lawsuits against Combs, alleging that he sexually abused and exploited them.
“These lies thrown at him are motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice,” Small Combs claimed. “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,” she said. “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 by imploring fans, colleagues, friends and the public to “not judge him before you’ve had the chance to hear his side.”
“I beg you to think about those who have been wrongfully persecuted, to remember that not everyone who has made mistakes in life deserves to have their entire existence judged by a single action or a few mistakes,” she added. “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.”
Combs is scheduled to appear back in court on October 9.
