Sean Combs: Diddy’s mother Janice issues emotional statement defending son
Sean Combs' mother Janice Combs has spoken out in defence of her son. Here they're pictured at VH1's Dear Mama: A Love Letter To Moms on May 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. Photo / Getty Images
Warning: mentions sexual abuse.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ mother has broken her silence on the allegations against her son, claiming in an emotional statement that he’s facing “a public lynching”.
Combs, 54, is behind bars in New York as he awaits trial on charges of racketeering, sexual assault and sex trafficking.
Janice Smalls Combs has now spoken out in her son’s defence, declaring she’s “heartbroken” by the charges and insisting he deserves the chance to prove his innocence.
“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” Janice said in a statement shared with Page Six.
“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.”
Combs was arrested last month and has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He was denied US$50 million bail (NZ$81.6m) and will remain behind bars until his trial.
“Diddy is an imperfect person but is not criminal,” his lawyer Marc Agnifilo said after the star’s arrest.
“To his credit, Mr Combs has been nothing but co-operative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges.
“Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Since being imprisoned, more than 100 alleged victims have come forward with additional claims of sexual assault, of which 25 were said to be underage at the time of the alleged abuse.
The star is expected to be hit with a series of lawsuits detailing allegations that span more than 25 years.
The lawyer representing the alleged victims, Tony Buzbee, has said the list of Combs’ supposed accomplices will leave the entertainment world “shocked”.
“There’s a lot of names. It’s a long list already ... The names will shock you,” Buzbee said at a press conference last week.
“You can’t hide skeletons in the closet forever. I would expect there are many people out there right now who are desperately searching their memories as they delete their texts and data.”
A representative for Combs’ legal team has described the publicity around the allegations as a “reckless media circus”.
“As Mr Combs’ legal team has emphasised, he cannot address every meritless allegation,” the rep said in a statement last week.
“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.”
- Additional reporting by NZ Herald.