Donald Trump Shares Diddy Asked for a Pardon in a Letter, But He Won’t Grant It

President Donald Trump; Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Credit:

Nicole Combeau/Bloomberg via Getty; Paras Griffin/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• President Donald Trump is denying the possibility of granting Sean “Diddy” Combs a pardon.
• The New York Times first reported that the mogul’s team sent the request “through a letter.”
• Combs was convicted on two prostitution-related charges in July and is scheduled to be released in May 2028.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has reportedly requested President Donald Trump to pardon his prison sentence, but Trump has made it clear that such a move is unlikely.

In an exclusive report by the New York Times published on January 8, the 79-year-old president stated he has no intention of assisting the embattled music mogul, who is 56 years old.

Trump confirmed to the Times that Combs “asked me for a pardon,” and noted that the request was made “through a letter.”

US President Donald Trump during a Mexican Border Defense medal presentation on Dec. 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg

When asked for further details about the request, Trump replied, “Oh, would you like to see that letter?”

The Times noted that Trump did not produce the letter during the exchange.

A spokesperson for the White House confirmed Trump’s statements to the publication upon request.

Combs’ representative declined to comment when contacted.

In July, Combs was convicted of two prostitution-related charges and was subsequently sentenced to 50 months in jail in October.

This is not the first instance in which the potential for Trump to pardon Combs has been discussed. Back in May 2025, during a press briefing, Trump was asked whether he would consider such a pardon. He responded, “I haven’t seen him, I haven’t spoken to him for years. I don’t know. I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated it wouldn’t matter whether they like me or don’t.”

Despite previously referring to Combs as a friend, Trump mentioned that their relationship deteriorated after he began his presidential campaign, leading to negative remarks from Combs about him.

“I know they’re thinking about it,” Trump remarked regarding Combs’ team’s request. “I think people have been very close to asking.”

Sean Combs at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Neilson Barnard/Getty

Combs faces a sentence of roughly three years in prison, with a projected release date of May 25, 2028, according to records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.