Donald Trump Rejects Diddy’s Pardon Request After Handwritten Plea

Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs won’t be getting a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump, despite submitting a handwritten letter requesting clemency, Trump revealed in a recent interview with The New York Times. 

Trump said that although Diddy reached out directly with a pardon request, he has no plans to grant the clemency, a decision that marks a significant public rebuke from a one-time friend to the hip-hop icon. 

What Trump Said About the Pardon Request

Trump confirmed that Diddy’s legal team sent him a personal handwritten note asking for a pardon, but the exact contents of the letter remain undisclosed, with White House aides declining to release a copy. 

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“I’ve had a lot of people ask me for pardons,” Trump said in the interview, “and he asked me for one — through a letter.” But when pressed on whether a clemency decision was imminent, Donald Trump made clear he was not inclined to act. 

Trump also referenced his prior relationship with Sean Diddy Combs, explaining that their friendship soured after Diddy publicly criticized him during his 2016 presidential campaign. The president said those past comments have “made it more difficult” to consider clemency, reinforcing his stance that personal dynamics can factor into pardon deliberations. 

Diddy’s Legal Situation: Convictions and Sentence

Sean “Diddy” Combs, 56, has been serving a 50-month federal prison sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey, after being convicted in October 2025 on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. 

Sean Diddy Combs was acquitted of the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges earlier in July 2025, but the convictions on lesser prostitution charges still carry a significant sentence. 

His legal team filed an appeal on Christmas Eve 2025, hoping to overturn the conviction or secure a reduced sentence, but Trump’s rejection of a pardon dampens one possible path toward early release. 

Political Fallout and Public Reaction

Trump’s rejection of Diddy’s pardon comes amid broader controversies over presidential clemency powers and celebrity influence. Critics argue that pardons should be based solely on justice and rehabilitation, while others contend that political factors often influence clemency decisions. Supporters of Combs have yet to comment publicly on Trump’s decision, and the rapper’s legal team has not issued a statement. 

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Some commentators have noted that Trump once spoke warmly of Combs, but the relationship reportedly cooled when Combs opposed Trump’s political positions. In a 2017 interview, Combs was quoted making derogatory remarks about Trump, something the president referenced when discussing the pardon decision. 

With his appeal underway and a pardon off the table for now, Diddy faces continued incarceration until at least 2028 based on his sentence, unless a legal victory emerges on appeal. 

His case remains a flashpoint in conversations about celebrity justice, presidential power, and accountability — and now adds another chapter in the complex intersection of culture, law, and politics.