Janice Combs, the 80-year-old mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs. Janice stayed steady, cerebral, and, for the time being, unimpressed by the partial legal reprieve, as the music mogul was found not guilty of the most serious charges in his federal sex trafficking case.
Diddy, 55, was pulled a not guilty verdict on racketeering and sex trafficking charges that could've thrown the book at him for life. But the Manhattan federal jury did return two convictions on counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, meaning the hip-hop icon could still be sentenced to 20 years in prison. Even though Diddy's lawyers urged for his release pending his sentencing, the bail application was denied by Judge Arun Subramanian.
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That ruling didn't shake Janice. Wearing freshly pressed white slacks and a navy-striped top, she appeared serene, certainly more so than just about everyone else as they rode the emotional roller coaster that unfolded as the verdicts were read in the courtroom.
"Do I seem calm? Of course I do," she calmly replied to reporters in the hallway while adjusting her lipstick. "Does anyone here want to see me pass out or fall over? No, they don't. And I do not want to see it myself. So… I hold it together."
Amid the cheers, tears, and sobs, Janice quietly disappeared to the bathroom. Her demeanour was almost stolid, of the kind one acquires only by having experienced much more than the public has ever been told.
His son Christian "King" Combs was ecstatic, shouting, "I want to hug my Pops!" as he jumped into the courthouse elevator. His brother Justin said, "I am so happy. Diddy even cracked a smile and put his hands together as if praying after the not guilty verdicts were read.
"It hasn't been easy, and it's not over yet," she said. "We're not planning anything in terms of a celebration because it's too soon.
Diddy's legal drama isn't finished, however, given the dodged life sentence, it's heavy enough to make the two lesser convictions feel substantial. The family may have escaped disaster, but they are not yet out of danger.
In the end, it was Janice who said louder than any courtroom outburst: "I have all my faith in God, he's the only one. The other part is just noise, and that has nothing to do with me."
With October and November approaching, the world waits and wonders. But behind all the fanfare and camera flashes, a mother waits not for glory, not for dread, but for the quiet power of solidarity. Regardless of whether Diddy comes home or not, Janice Combs will be at home, holding it down, unmoved, until the last minute.
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