Janice Combs said Combs is not perfect and has made mistakes, including lying about physically assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie, but argued that he “deserves the chance to tell his side” amid a new wave of accusations.

Janice Combs and Sean “Diddy” Combs at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards Jason Kempin/Getty Images for MTV

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother has come to his defense amid a series of legal troubles involving accusations of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

Janice Small Combs released a statement Sunday through her attorney, Natlie G. Figgers, and on behalf of the Combs family, 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.

“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.”

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The statement was released five days after it was revealed that Combs will face lawsuits from 120 additional accusers — he was already facing a dozen. Attorney Tony Buzbee said Tuesday that he represents several men and women who accuse Combs of sex crimes going back to 1991. Many accusers say they were raped after being drugged, Buzbee said.

The new accusations also come nearly a year after Combs settled a lawsuit from singer Cassie Ventura, his ex-girlfriend who goes professionally by her first name, who accused him of rape and abuse. He denied the allegations, but then video surfaced in May of him physically assaulting her in a hotel. Two days later, he said he was “truly sorry” for what happened.

In her statement, Janice acknowledged that her son lied about the incident but offered her explanation why.

“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 further argued that just because her son lied about that does not make him 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,’” she continued.  “History has showed us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes.”

Janice added that she’s been hurt hearing all the “jokes” being made at her son’s expense and that he’s not being given an opportunity to share his side of the story.

“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 added that she thinks the allegations are coming from people wanting money in the wake of the Cassie settlement.

“These lies thrown at him are motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice,” she said. “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.”

Combs was arrested in mid-September following a grand jury’s indictment. He has been denied bail for sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

Read Janice’s statement in full:

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.”