Janice Smalls Combs, mother of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, has spoken out following his arrest with a heartfelt statement defending her son amidst the shocking allegations he faces.
Janice expressed “as a mother” she is “saddened” by what her son has been accused of. Delving deeper into her emotions regarding the situation, Janice stated it is “heartbreaking” to see Combs embroiled in such controversy and harshly judged in the court of public opinion.
She continued, stressing her anguish: “I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs.
“The pain of watching what feels like a public lynching before Sean can establish his innocence is too great to put into words.
“Like every human being, my son deserves to have this day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
Janice acknowledged mistakes made by her son in the past, in reference to footage released in 2016 by CNN where he appeared to assault his then-girlfriend Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel, reports the Mirror. Janice said: “Not being entirely straightforward about one issue does not mean my son is guilty of the repulsive allegations and the grave charges levelled against him.”
In September, Combs was apprehended on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has refuted the charges, yet bail has been denied to him on two occasions.
As a result, he’s confined at Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn pending his trial.
Combs stands accused of sexually assaulting 120 victims, among which is a nine year old boy who had been expecting a music contract, according to US attorney Tony Buzbee. The allegation includes abuse against 25 children.
Erica Wolff, an attorney for Combs, recently spoke out against what she described as a ‘meritless allegation’, affirming that Mr Combs ’emphatically and categorically denies’ all the accusations. She stated: “As Mr Combs’ legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.”
In further comments to TMZ, Wolff said: “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.”
Following his arrest in New York, fresh allegations have surfaced against Combs. The 14-page indictment against him lays out a grim narrative, accusing him of “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfil his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct” over many years.
Prosecutors have also accused him of “creating a criminal enterprise” that was involved in a litany of crimes including “sex trafficking, forced labour, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice”.
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