Diddy’s lawyers confirm they sought Trump pardon and remain hopeful, despite POTUS calling it ‘difficult’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Sean “Diddy” Combs has formally requested a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, his legal team confirmed, as the music mogul awaits sentencing following his conviction on prostitution-related charges.

Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He faces up to 10 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3.

Diddy seeks Trump pardon ahead of October sentencing

In an interview with CNN, defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland confirmed that Sean "Diddy" Combs’ legal team had reached out to the Trump administration regarding clemency.

“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Westmoreland said, adding that Diddy “remains hopeful.”

A White House spokesperson stated they would “not comment on the existence or non-existence of any clemency request.” 

Trump claims Diddy’s past remarks make potential pardon ‘more difficult’

Donald Trump recently acknowledged that he would have a “hard time” pardoning Sean “Diddy” Combs, citing the rapper’s past hostility toward him. In an interview with Newsmax, Trump said, “Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent. (He’s) still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good of a victory…”

“I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great, and (he) seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile. It’s hard, you know? We’re human beings. And we don’t like to have things cloud our judgment, right? But when you knew someone and you were fine, and then you run for office, and he made some terrible statements,” he remarked, adding, “So I don’t know… it makes it more difficult to do.”

Speaking in May, Trump told Newsmax he hadn’t seen or spoken to Diddy in years but recalled a once-friendly relationship.

“I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up,” Trump said. “I read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden.”

Diddy, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and has been held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn.