'Not a monster': Diddy's mother defends him amid assault allegations
What's the story
Janice Small Combs, the mother of disgraced music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs, has publicly defended her son amid escalating legal troubles involving accusations of sexual assault and sex trafficking.
In a statement released through her attorney on Sunday, she reportedly acknowledged that while her son is not perfect and has made mistakes in the past, he is not guilty of the allegations against him.
Emotional defense
'Heartbreaking to see my son judged...'
Combs expressed her distress over the public judgment of her son based on unproven accusations, stating, "It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies."
She further emphasized, "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."
Mounting accusations
Diddy faces lawsuits from 120 additional accusers
The statement was released five days after it was revealed that Diddy would face lawsuits from 120 additional accusers, adding to the dozen he was already facing.
Attorney Tony Buzbee represents several men and women who accuse Diddy of sex crimes dating back to 1991.
Many accusers claim they were raped after being drugged, with some underage victims—one as young as nine—accusing him of sexual abuse.
Past controversy
Diddy's mother addressed past incident with ex-girlfriend
Diddy's mother also addressed a past incident involving her son and his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura.
Ventura had accused him of rape and abuse, which he initially denied but later apologized for after a video surfaced showing him physically assaulting her in a hotel back in 2016.
In her statement, Janice 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."
Financial motives
'My son is not the monster': Combs
Janice also suggested that the allegations against her son are motivated by financial gain following the settlement of Ventura's lawsuit last year.
"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."
Notably, Diddy was arrested amid a sex trafficking investigation in September.