Before Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial had even ended, observers began speculating about whether President Donald Trump would pardon him.
The chatter increased in the spring after the president pardoned reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022. The former Chrisley Knows Best stars, who have maintained their innocence, were released from prison in May after serving about two and a half years of their respective sentences.
Shortly after Diddy’s trial began in New York City in May, Trump weighed in on the possibility of pardoning him.
“First of all, I’d look at what’s happening,” the president said during an Oval Office press conference on May 30. “I haven’t been watching it too closely, although it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage.”
Diddy was arrested in September 2024 and charged with transportation to engage in prostitution, sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. He pleaded not guilty and denied all the allegations against him. On July 2, a jury found him guilty on two counts of transportation but acquitted him of the more serious charges.
The disgraced mogul’s legal team has tried numerous times to get him released ahead of his October 3 sentencing, but Judge Arun Subramanian has denied all of his bail requests. In his August 4 ruling against Diddy’s latest request, the judge said the defense had failed to provide “exceptional reasons” that warrant Diddy’s release.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Trump’s possible pardon of Diddy:
Can Trump Pardon Diddy?
Because Diddy was convicted in federal court, Trump has the legal authority as president to pardon him for the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy hasn’t been sentenced yet, but he’s currently in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. If Trump were to pardon him, he would likely be released within days. (The Chrisleys were released just one day after Trump announced his decision to pardon them.)
Do Trump and Diddy Know Each Other?
Diddy was once friendly with the president, but Trump said in May that they haven’t spoken to each other in years. “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up, from what I read,” Trump said during the aforementioned Oval Office press conference. “I don’t know — he didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden.”
Prior to Trump’s turn to politics, the duo were photographed at several events together. In 2005, Trump and his wife, Melania, attended a gala honoring Diddy that was hosted by Russell Simmons. They were most recently seen together at the 2011 premiere of the film Tower Heist.
Has Diddy Asked Trump for a Pardon?
Diddy’s legal team has given conflicting statements about whether they’re actively pursuing a pardon from the Trump administration. In an interview with Variety published August 1, Diddy’s lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said that a potential pardon was not an official part of the team’s legal strategy.
“I am not involved in that in the least. I have literally no idea,” he said of the pardon rumors. “There are times I think there’s nothing to it, and there are times I think it’s just rumor mill stuff. But, I do not purport to know the president’s mind. I really don’t know.”
He added, “My end of the business is very focused on the case alone — the merit of the case and what happened in the courtroom. I don’t do anything else.”
Days later, however, another one of Diddy’s lawyers, Nicole Westmoreland, claimed that the team had reached out to the White House about a pardon. “It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon, she told CNN on August 5, adding that Diddy “is a very hopeful person and I believe that he remains hopeful.”
Agnifilo then stated again that he has not had any conversations with Trump about a pardon. “I have nothing to do with a possible pardon,” he told CBS Mornings in an interview published August 7. “I have had conversations with nobody. I have not spoken to the president. I have not spoken to anybody who speaks to the president about Sean Combs. I have not.”
When asked whether he’d spoken to Diddy about a pardon, Agnifilo said that he’s only told him what’s in the news. “He says, ‘Go tell [Mr. Trump] that I need a pardon,’” the attorney explained. “‘Go tell him I deserve a pardon.’ That’s what he said.”
What Has Trump Said About Pardoning Diddy?
Trump has made several remarks about the possibility of pardoning the rapper, but Us Weekly understands that the White House does not comment on potential pardons. In May, prior to Diddy’s conviction, Trump claimed that his personal relationship with Diddy would not influence his decision to grant him clemency.
“I would certainly look at the facts,” he said during a press conference. “If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”
After the verdict, however, Trump indicated that a pardon is unlikely. “Well, he was essentially, sort of, half-innocent. I don’t know what they do that he’s still in jail or something,” the president said during an August 1 appearance on Newsmax. “He was celebrating a victory, but I guess it wasn’t as good a victory.”
Trump went on to claim that Diddy had a “hostile” attitude toward his political career. “I was very friendly with him, got along with him great, seemed like a nice guy, didn’t know him well,” Trump said. “But when I ran for office he was very hostile. But it was hard, we’re human beings and we don’t like to have things cloud our judgement, right? But when you knew someone and you were fine and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements … so I don’t know, it makes it more difficult to do.”
When Newsmax’s Rob Finnerty asked whether that meant it was “more likely a no” for Diddy in terms of a pardon, Trump replied, “I’d say so.”
How Much Prison Time Is Diddy Facing?
Each count of transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, which could be served consecutively, meaning Diddy faces up to 20 years in prison. It is unlikely, however, that he will receive the maximum sentence.
Prosecutors have acknowledged that the sentencing guidelines recommend a range between four and five years. The defense, meanwhile, is pushing for a sentence between 21 and 27 months, or around two years.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Read the full article here
