P. Diddy has continued to make headlines as he sits in prison awaiting trial. Since his September 16 arrest on charges of sex trafficking and other crimes, many are sharing their experiences — like the former PR exec who said her “spidey senses” were always up at his parties — while Diddy’s celebrity friends like Kevin Hart may be trying to distance themselves. One person who’s not here for all the conjecture is the rapper’s mom Janice Smalls Combs, who didn’t hold back, calling the coverage of her son’s legal woes a “public lynching.”
Several lawsuits were filed against Sean Combs in the months leading up to his arrest, accusing him of sexual assault, physical abuse and other crimes, and after more than 1,000 bottles of lubricant were found when Homeland Security raided his homes in Miami and Los Angeles, stories began to emerge about the record producer’s so-called “Freak Offs.” Janice Smalls Combs says all the rumors are causing people to jump to conclusions, and in a statement released October 6 through her lawyer, she said (via Page Six):
It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies.
Diddy was infamous for the parties he threw, but the pictures being painted regarding the Freak Offs describe drug- and alcohol-fueled sex parties that reportedly sometimes lasted for multiple days, where people were coerced into performing sex acts while being recorded.
On October 2, lawyer Tony Buzbee said at a press conference that he is representing 120 individuals who are suing Sean Combs for a host of crimes allegedly committed over three decades, including accusations of sexual assault against 25 minors. Janice Smalls Combs insists her son deserves a chance to defend himself against such allegations, saying:
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. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.
Janice Smalls Combs went on to reference the 2016 hotel surveillance footage that recently leaked, appearing to show P. Diddy assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. The rapper’s mom said:
I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not. 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.
Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against the music mogul in November 2023 alleging assault and abuse over the course of their relationship, which lasted for over a decade. The suit was settled the day after the filing, which Janice Smalls Combs believes is being misinterpreted as an admission of guilt. In her words:
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 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.
Diddy’s team has confirmed the statement did come from his mother. The rapper remains imprisoned in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, after his request to post $50 million bond was denied. The music producer had even said he would ban women from his home, submit to weekly drug tests and remain under 24-hour supervision if released while awaiting trial, where — like his mother indicated — he seems eager to tell his side of the story.
