Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother has spoken out in his defence following his arrest for alleged sex offences, saying: “My son is not the monster they have painted him to be.”
The 54-year-old hip-hop mogul is currently in custody awaiting trial after being arrested on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He has has also had more than 100 sexual misconduct allegations made against him.
Now his 84-year-old mother Janice Small Combs has defended him, saying that while her son is not perfect and has “made mistakes in the past, as we all have,” he is not guilty of the allegations against him.
She said: “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.”
“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,” she added in the statement released through her attorney Natlie G Figgers, and on behalf of the Combs family.
Combs was arrested in mid-September following a grand jury’s indictment.
The I’ll Be Missing You hit-maker pleaded not guilty to the three-count indictment and was denied bail. He has been taken to jail to await trial.
Noting that she was “not here to portray my son as perfect,” she then spoke about a case where Diddy reached a settlement with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, after hotel CCTV footage from 2016 showed him assaulting her.
Mrs Combs said that by settling the lawsuit the day after she filed it, he then opened himself up to others wanting to go after him for financial gains.
"Not being entirely straightforward about one issue does not mean my son is guilty of the repulsive allegations and the grave charges levelled against him,” she said.
Combs is one of the best-known music executives, producers and performers across hip-hop, having won three Grammys and worked with artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.
He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, the influential fashion line Sean John, a vodka brand and the Revolt TV network. He sold off his stake in the latter company in June of this year.
He was known for throwing some of the most extravagant parties in the entertainment industry, with his annual White Party - attended by A-list stars wearing white - one of the hottest tickets on the showbiz calendar.
