The disgraced music mogul’s legal team have approached Donald Trump to consider a full presidential pardon ahead of his sentencing in October.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team have “reached out” to US President Donald Trump about the possibility of a pardon.
The hip hop mogul is behind bars after being found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. But ahead of his sentencing on 6 October he has sought to be shown mercy by Trump in a bid to have any potential punishment dismissed.
Nicole Westmoreland of his legal team said: “It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon.”
She said The Bad Boy Records founder was optimistic about his chances of a pardon. Nicole added: “[Combs] is a very hopeful person and I believe that he remains hopeful.”
A White House official said they would “not comment on the existence or nonexistence of any clemency request.” However, Trump, 79, recently admitted he would find it “difficult” to pardon Combs because the rapper was “very hostile” towards him.
He 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.
“So I don’t know …. it makes it more difficult to do.” Despite previously getting on, Combs argued in 2020 that Trump should be “banished”.
He said: “White men like Trump need to be banished. That way of thinking is real dangerous. This man literally threatened the lives of us and our families about going to vote …
“The number one priority is to get Trump out of office.” The I’ll Be Missing You hitmaker – who was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges – faces up to 20 years in prison.
The hip-hop star and fashion entrepreneur, who once topped the Forbes list of wealthiest entertainers, is now awaiting sentencing on October 3. He faces a maximum of 10 years behind bars.
In May, Trump, who was a friend of the I’ll Be Missing You hitmaker, was asked during an Oval Office appearance whether he would consider intervening in the case.
The hip-hop star, who appeared on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ in 2012, attended the property mogul’s parties and praised each other in interviews prior to the real estate tycoon’s political career.
Combs, who rose to fame in the 1990s with artists like The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase, has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
Though he avoided conviction on the more damning charges of sex trafficking and organised criminal activity, the guilty verdict on two federal counts capped a stunning fall from grace for a man once dubbed the “King of Hip-Hop”.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
