US President Donald Trump has claimed that Sean “Diddy” Combs has personally asked him for a presidential pardon following his recent sentencing in New York. Trump made the remarks inside the Oval Office, according to journalist Jake Sherman, who reported the exchange from the White House. “‘Puff Daddy has asked me for a pardon,’ Trump just said in the Oval,” he wrote on social media.
The 47th president went on to say he had once been on friendly terms with the rapper and producer. “Probably — hmm. You know, I was very friendly with him. I get along with him great. Seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile,” Trump said. Combs, 55, was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges in July but found guilty of transporting former girlfriends for prostitution. He was sentenced to four years and two months in prison last week, with allocations for time served.
The verdict came after 13 hours of jury deliberation. Witnesses inside the courtroom said the music mogul sank to his knees and began praying as the decision was read out, before turning to the gallery to applaud his family and children, who had gathered to support him.
During his high-profile trial, prosecutors presented evidence of what they described as Combs’ “freak-off parties,” which reportedly involved several women, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Cassie submitted an emotional impact statement before sentencing, referencing footage that showed Combs assaulting her in a hotel hallway.
In a lengthy letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs said his downfall came from “drugs and excess,” admitting: “My downfall was rooted in my selfishness.
"I have been humbled and broken to my core. The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn. Prison will change you or kill you — I choose to live.”
He went on: “This has been the hardest two years of my life, and I have no one to blame for my current reality and situation but myself.
"I am so sorry for the hurt that I caused, but I understand that the mere words ‘I’m sorry’ will never be good enough.”
The disgraced producer asked the court to grant him a second chance, saying he hoped to become “an example of what a person can do if afforded a second chance".
Sources close to the former president told Deadline in July that a pardon for the Bad Boy Records founder is now being “seriously considered” by the Trump team.
The request, which began as an informal discussion, has reportedly gained traction in recent weeks after several of Combs’ associates began lobbying White House officials directly.
Trump has previously hinted that he was “open” to the idea, despite acknowledging their strained relationship. “He was hostile when I ran for office,” Trump reiterated, adding: “but I don’t hold grudges.”
