Janice Small Combs, the mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs, expressed that she is “devastated and deeply saddened” by the accusations against her son, labeling them as “lies.”
The renowned musician, celebrated for his 1997 hit “I’ll Be Missing You,” was arrested last month on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He is currently in custody at a detention facility in Manhattan after being denied bail.
In her statement, Janice defended her son, acknowledging that while he has “made mistakes in the past, like everyone,” he is “not the monster they have portrayed him to be.”
“It is painful to witness my son being judged not based on the truth but on a narrative built on falsehoods,” she stated.
This statement, issued by her lawyer Natlie G Figgers, was attributed to Ms. Small Combs and the Combs family.
It came five days after it was revealed that Mr Combs could face lawsuits from more than 100 additional accusers, both men and women, for alleged sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation.
The star’s lawyer have denied these and all previous charges, calling them “false and defamatory”.
He has faced a number of cases since last year when his former partner Cassie Ventura accused him of rape and abuse.
Mr Combs denied the allegations, and the case was settled out of court a day after being filed.
However, he was subsequently sued by 12 other women, many of whom accused the rapper of drugging and assaulting them.
Federal agents raided his properties in March as authorities built a criminal case against the star.
Then in May, a video of Mr Combs physically assaulting Ms Ventura in a hotel room in 2016 was leaked to the press.
In her statement, Ms Small Combs referenced the video, saying she was “not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not”.