The mother of the embattled hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs released a statement Sunday defending her son against the criminal charges and multiple allegations of sexual misconduct he is currently facing while in federal custody in New York.Combs, 54, has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since pleading not guilty on Sept.17 to federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution.In a statement released through her lawyers, Janice Smalls Combs says it has been "unbearable" to witness "what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence." She then mentions that her son "has made mistakes in his past" and refers to an episode caught on security video that appeared to show Combs attacking singer Cassie, his former girlfriend, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
In May, Combs apologized for the incident, saying his behavior was "inexcusable" and that he took "full responsibility" for his actions.In November, Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of rape and abuse during their relationship; he denied the accusations.They reached a settlement the following day.
The indictment against Combs refers to the incident caught by the hotel security cameras.According to the indictment, Combs attempted to bribe a hotel security staff member who intervened in the incident to keep them quiet."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," Janice Smalls Combs says in the statement.
"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 ...