‘I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs,’ Janice, 84, told Dailymail.com in a statement through her lawyer Natlie G. Figgers. ‘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.’
Janice – who was hospitalized this past summer amid her son’s legal issues – conceded that Diddy had not told the truth about being violent with Cassie Ventura, as captured in a March 2016 surveillance clip filmed at a Los Angeles hotel that publicly surfaced earlier this year.
Janice said that by rapidly settling Cassie’s lawsuit suit late last year – a day after she filed it – Diddy opened himself up to litigation from others to go after him for financial gains.
‘I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not,’ Janice said. ‘He has made mistakes in his past, as we all have. 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.’
Janice said those factors were decisive in the Grammy Award-winning artist, 54, settling the suit with Cassie last year.
‘This is why I believe my son’s civil legal team opted to settle the ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit instead of contesting it until the end, resulting in a ricochet effect as the federal government used this decision against my son by interpreting it as an admission of guilt,’ she said.
Janice said that the clip of Diddy’s violent 2016 beating of Cassie going public in May triggered a feeding frenzy of dishonest opportunists seeking to pile on her embattled son for monetary gain.
‘These lies thrown at him are motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice,’ Janice 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.’
Janice said that ‘false allegations of s3xual assault thwart true victims of s3xual violence from getting the justice they deserve.’
Janice admitted that her son has made mistakes, but said that his transgressions are not what they have been made out to be.
‘It is important to recognize that none of us, regardless of our status, are immune to fear or mistakes,’ Janice said. ‘Not being entirely straightforward about one issue does not mean my son is guilty of the repulsive allegations and the grave charges leveled against him.
Janice pointed out past people who have been falsely accused and convicted of crimes due to their reputations.
‘Many individuals who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated had their freedom taken from them not because they were guilty of the crimes they were accused of, but because they didn’t fit the image of what this society considers to be a “good person,”‘ she said. ‘History has showed us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes.’
Janice said that she is heartbroken seeing her son’s loss of freedom, damage to his reputation and lack of support from the public without yet stating his case.
‘The worst part of this ordeal is 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.
Janice continued, ‘Watching the world make jokes and laugh at my son’s life crumbling before our eyes is something I can never forget.
‘It is truly agonizing to watch the world turn against my son so quickly and easily over lies and misconceptions, without ever hearing his side or affording him the opportunity to present his side.’
Janice said that ‘like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.’
Janice said that the untrue rumors surrounding her son have led to the federal government’s significant probe of him, and subsequent prosecution.
‘To make matters worse, the federal government is now using these lies to prosecute my son,’ she said. ‘This injustice has been unbearable for our family.’
Janice urged Diddy’s ‘supporters, fans, colleagues, friends, and the public, to not judge him before you’ve had the chance to hear his side’ of the story.
She added, ‘I beg you to think about those who have been wrongfully persecuted, to remember that not everyone who has made mistakes in life deserves to have their entire existence judged by a single action or a few mistakes.’
Janice wrapped up in writing, ‘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.’
Janice spoke out less than a week after an attorney said Tuesday he is representing 120 accusers who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against the hip-hop mogul.
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