Combs’ mother ‘saddened’ by ‘lies’
By Lisa Respers France, CNN (CNN) — Janice Small Combs is defending her superstar son, Sean “Diddy” Combs. The musician and producer is currently in federal custody as he awaits trial for his indictment in the Southern District of New York on counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. Combs is also facing multiple civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct and other illegal activity. Janice Combs released a statement on Sunday through her attorney, which was shared on social media. “I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs,” her statement began.“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” she wrote. “To bear witness 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.” The case has put a spotlight on the music mogul’s alleged lifestyle away from public view. In their indictment, federal prosecutors cited alleged “Freak Offs,” Sean Combs’ name for elaborate sex performances in which he is accused of drugging and coercing victims into performing extended sex acts with male sex workers, beginning around 2009. Janice Combs also addressed a surveillance video obtained by CNN that showed Sean Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, in 2016 in a Los Angeles hotel. “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 wrote in her statement. “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.” Sean Combs initially denied allegations of abusing Ventura, which were included in a lawsuit she filed before the video was made public. Following the release of the video, he apologized. “I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab,” Combs said in a video shared on social media days after the video was broadcast. “I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.” His mother wrote that she believes her 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,” she wrote. “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.” Last week Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, along with the AVA Law Group, announced they had been retained by at least 120 additional men and women “to pursue cases in civil court” against Combs. CNN has reached out to attorneys for Combs for comment about his mother’s statement. The-CNN-Wire & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.