U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has formally requested a presidential pardon following his recent conviction in a federal criminal case.
During an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Monday, Trump was asked about possible pardons, including that of Ghislaine Maxwell, when he revealed that several individuals had approached him — among them, Diddy.
“A lot of people have asked me for pardons,” Trump said, naming the embattled music producer as one of them.
Combs, who was sentenced on Friday to more than four years in prison, was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
In August, Combs’ attorney Nicole Westmoreland confirmed to CNN that his legal team had reached out to the Trump camp to discuss a potential clemency request.
“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Westmoreland told CNN at the time.
Trump, however, had previously suggested that granting a pardon to Combs might be “more difficult”, citing the artist’s past political hostility toward him.
“I got along with him great and he seemed like a nice guy. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile,” Trump told Newsmax earlier.
Meanwhile, Combs’ lawyers have petitioned Judge Arun Subramanian, who sentenced him last week, to recommend that the rapper serve his time at Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution in New Jersey. The request aims to allow Combs to access rehabilitation programs and maintain family visitation opportunities.
The Grammy-winning artist, once celebrated as a powerful figure in entertainment and business, now faces a stunning fall from grace as his conviction shatters his image as a charismatic entrepreneur and A-list celebrity.
