Donald Trump has confirmed he has no intentions of pardoning Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who is currently serving a 50-month prison sentence following a conviction for federal prostitution charges. In an interview with The New York Times, the president disclosed that Diddy had sent him a handwritten letter seeking a pardon, but stated he would not consider the request. White House officials declined to provide a copy of the letter, deferring to Trump's public comments.

Diddy, who has been incarcerated at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey since September 2024, is actively appealing both his conviction and the 50-month sentence, which was handed down in October. This is not the first time Trump has mentioned Diddy's plea for clemency. In an October interview from the Oval Office, Trump remarked to reporters, "A lot of people have asked me for pardons. I call him Puff Daddy, [he] has asked me for a pardon."

Further elaborating on his stance during an August interview with Newsmax, Trump recalled a once-friendly relationship with Combs that deteriorated after Diddy became critical during Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Trump explained, "I got along with him great. Seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile." The president admitted that Diddy's past criticisms have made a potential pardon "more difficult" to execute. "We’re human beings," Trump added, acknowledging that such personal history can 'cloud judgment'.

Combs was initially arrested in September 2024 under a sprawling indictment that included racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Although he was acquitted of these more severe charges at trial in October, he was ultimately convicted of federal prostitution. Diddy's legal team initiated his appeal process on Christmas Eve as the music mogul continues to serve his sentence.