Janice Smalls Combs, the mother of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, has spoken out against the allegations made about her son.
The musician is currently in jail after being arrested in New York City on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs has denied the charges laid against him, submitting a plea of not guilty, while his legal representatives said he was looking forward to his day in court.
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They said in a statement to LADbible Group: "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.”
Now, his mother, 84-year-old Janice Smalls Combs, has told the Daily Mail that her son was not perfect, but claimed that the allegations now made against him came from 'those seeking a financial gain'.
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She said: "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.
"I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not."
She then spoke about a case where Diddy reached a settlement with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, after hotel CCTV footage from 2016 showed him assaulting her.
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"He has made mistakes in his past, as we all have," Janice Smalls Combs said.
"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."
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Diddy's mother said this was why she believed her son's legal team settled the matter instead of contesting it, and claimed that the recent allegations against her son were 'motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice'.
Combs claimed that her son's accusers 'believe they can receive a quick payday by falsely accusing my son', and stated that false allegations 'thwart true victims of sexual violence from getting the justice they deserve'.
She insisted that 'not being entirely straightforward' about one case 'does not mean my son is guilty of the repulsive allegations and the grave charges leveled against him' and said other people had been convicted on false accusations.
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The musician's mother said the worst part for her was 'watching my beloved son be stripped of his dignity, not for what he did, but for what people choose to believe about him'.
She said: "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."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Joe Harker