“My Son Is Not the Monster They Have Painted Him to Be”
In the midst of strings of legal issues involving allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother has stepped up to defend him.
In a statement published on Sunday on behalf of the Combs family and through her attorney Natlie G. Figgers, Janice Small Combs stated that although her son is not perfect and has “made mistakes in the past, as we all have,” he is innocent of the charges brought against him.
“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” she said in the statement, which was shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
the statement was made anounced five days after it was made public that Combs would be the target of 120 more lawsuits from accusers—he was already facing twelve. On Tuesday, attorney Tony Buzbee announced that he is defending a number of men and women who have accused Combs of sexual offenses dating back to 1991. According to Buzbee, many accusers claim that after taking drugs, they were raped.
The fresh allegations also coincide with almost a year after Combs settled a lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, who goes by her first name in the music industry and accused him of rape and abuse. He refuted the accusations, but in May, footage of him hitting her in a hotel room came to light. He declared he was “truly sorry” for what had happened two days later.
While acknowledging that her son had misled about the incident, Janice provided an explanation for her actions in her 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,” she said. “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. 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.”
Janice continued by saying that her son isn’t getting a chance to tell his side of the story and that she has been offended by all the “jokes” being made at his expense.
“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 said.
She went on to say that she believes the accusations are the result of those seeking financial gain following the Cassie deal.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was indicted by a grand jury and was taken into custody in the mid-September. Bail has been rejected for him on allegations of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Read Janice’s full statement:
Janice Smalls Combs, the mother of Sean Combs, through her undersigned counsel and on the behalf of the Combs family, releases the following statement:
“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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
It is important to recognize that none of us, regardless of our status, are immune to fear or mistakes. 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.
Watching the world make jokes and laugh at my son’s life crumbling before our eyes is something I can never forget. 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. These lies thrown at him are motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice. 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. 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.
I ask his supporters, 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. 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.”
Respectfully submitted on the behalf of Janice Smalls Combs and the Combs’ family,
The Law Office of Natlie G. Figgers, LLC. /s/ NATLIE G. FIGGERS, ESQUIRE
Florida Bar No. 1009125
Counsel for Ms. Janice Smalls Combs
