United States President Donald Trump has revealed that American music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has reached out to request a presidential pardon following his conviction on prostitution-related charges.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said, “I call him Puff Daddy; he has asked me for a pardon.”
According to TMZ, Diddy’s team contacted the White House shortly after he was sentenced on Friday to 50 months in prison. A source familiar with the matter said someone close to the rapper reached out to a White House official who has direct access to Trump.
Combs’ representatives declined to comment on the President’s statement.
The hip-hop star, who has been in custody since September 2024, was convicted on two prostitution-related charges and fined $500,000. He will receive credit for the 12 months already served at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Diddy’s lead attorney, Teny Geragos, told ABC News that his legal team plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that the judge imposed a punishment far harsher than recommended.
“The jury made it very clear in their verdict that they acquitted him of the sex trafficking and the RICO counts,” Geragos said. “Not guilty means not guilty.”
In a letter submitted to the court on Monday, Combs’ lawyers requested that he serve his sentence at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey known for its drug treatment and rehabilitation programs.
“In order to address drug abuse issues and to maximize family visitation and rehabilitative efforts, we request that the Court recommend to the Bureau of Prisons that Mr. Combs be placed at FCI Fort Dix,” the letter read.
Trump’s remarks came as he was also asked about a possible pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, after the US Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal against her sex trafficking conviction.
“I’ll take a look at it,” Trump told reporters. “I will speak to the Justice Department.”
Maxwell is currently serving a prison term for aiding Epstein in recruiting and abusing underage girls.
