‘He became hostile when I ran for office,’ Trump speaks on presidential pardon for Diddy

The defense team of US rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs reportedly reached out to President Donald Trump seeking a pardon after his conviction on prostitution-related offenses.

The hip-hop mogul was convicted in July of two counts of interstate prostitution and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in October.

The 55-year-old singer was, however, acquitted of the most serious federal charges, which alleged a racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

Trump was reportedly weighing the possibility of granting a full presidential pardon to Diddy.

Nicole Westmoreland, a key member of the rapper’s high-profile defense team, also told CNN on Tuesday that the music mogul’s legal representatives have engaged with the Trump administration regarding a potential presidential pardon.

“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Westmoreland was quoted to have said.

However, Trump appeared to dampen those prospects during a recent interview with Newsmax.

“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,” the president said, adding that this makes pardoning Combs “more difficult to do”.

Diddy’s arrest in September 2024 followed allegations from over 120 accusers, including a minor and his ex-partner Cassie Ventura.

In July, the rapper’s request for bail was denied, and he was ordered to remain in custody until his sentencing hearing.