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While Sean “Diddy” Combs remains in a Brooklyn federal jail awaiting trial on multiple charges, including sex trafficking, his mother wants the world to know that’s not the son she knows. Janice Combs, who raised Diddy and his sister, Keisha, as a single mother after his father Melvin Combs was killed, says she wants the world to know her son is not as bad as he’s been portrayed in the media.
“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 in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter through her lawyer, Natlie G. Figgers.
This comes just as ABC News announced Secret Life of Diddy: A 20/20 Special will air on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 10 p.m. EST. Ray J. and singer Tiffany Red will be interviewed for the documentary, as others, including one executive-produced by 50 Cent for Netflix, are on the way.
Combs is referring to the surveillance cameras that showed Diddy assaulting his ex, Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. The tapes showed him running after Ventura who was trying to leave the room they shared after they attended the film premiere of The Perfect Match on March 8, 2016.
“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,” Combs 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.”
Janice Combs celebrated her 80th birthday in 2020 with a one million dollar check and a Bentley from her son, who called her a “Black Goddess Queen” in an Instagram Stories post at the time. Janice said it was painful to see his guilt or innocence decided in the court of public opinion.
“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” she said. “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. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
Janice released her statement just days after Houston-based lawyer Tony Buzbee, who represented 23 of 24 plaintiffs who settled in the Deshaun Watson sexual misconduct cases announced more lawsuits against Diddy. Watson is the current Cleveland Browns quarterback who was sued in civil court, with the women alleging that he used massages for sexual gratification. Buzbee says he now has 150 plaintiffs suing Combs but Janice says she believes their lawsuits are for financial gain.
“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 added. “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.”
See how social media is reacting to Diddy’s mother’s statement below.
