Diddy's mum breaks silence over 'lies' about her son

The mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs has issued an impassioned defence of her son, insisting that he is “not a monster”.

On Sunday, Janice Smalls Combs, 83, who is known to be close to the disgraced 54-year-old hip-hop mogul, released a lengthy statement, describing her “heartbreak” over the slew of allegations levelled against him.

Diddy was arrested in September on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, and more than 100 further accusers have since come forward, alleging that he sexually abused and exploited them.

Addressing the claims, Janice said she was “profoundly saddened” by the accusations, and suggested that her son was being judged “not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies.”

“To bear witness [to] 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," she said.

“Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”

Conceding that her son “is not perfect”, she referenced now-notorious hotel CCTV footage showing Combs violently beating his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, back in 2016.

“He has made mistakes in his past, as we all have,” the octogenarian said, adding: “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.”

However, she went on: “It is important to recognise 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 levelled 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 [sic] us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes.”

Combs has lavished his mother with gifts over the years and described her as "gorgeous"(Getty Images)

Janice then condemned the public reaction to Combs’s case, saying: “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 agonising 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 went on: “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.”

Janice has accompanied her son to numerous events over the years(Getty Images)

The 83-year-old ended her statement by begging Diddy’s “supporters, fans, colleagues, friends, and the public, to not judge him before you’ve had the chance to hear his side.”

She concluded: “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.”

Combs was arrested on 16 September on charges including sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

He pleaded not guilty but was denied bail and remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Following the announcement that 120 new accusers had stepped forward, the 54-year-old’s lawyer said: "As Mr. Combs' legal team has emphasised, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.

"That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors. He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation."

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