The White House has firmly denied reports claiming that President Donald Trump is considering commuting the prison sentence of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is currently serving a 50-month jail term for prostitution-related offenses.
The rumor originated from a TMZ report, which alleged that the president was “vacillating” on whether to follow his recent commutation of former U.S. congressman George Santos with a similar act of leniency for the 55-year-old music executive.
However, a White House spokesperson swiftly dismissed the claims, describing them as entirely baseless.
“There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,” the spokesperson said, according to the Daily Mail.
“The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations,” the statement added.
Diddy, who was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges but found guilty on two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution, has so far served 13 months of his sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Meanwhile, the rapper’s legal team has already moved to challenge the conviction. A two-page notice of appeal was filed before the Federal District Court of New York, with his attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, arguing that the prostitution-related charges stem from outdated provisions of the Mann Act.
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“The prostitution charges are relics of an era long past and have no place in modern jurisprudence,” Shapiro reportedly said in her filing.
President Trump, who has previously spoken about his acquaintance with Diddy, offered mixed remarks when asked about the case during an interview with Newsmax.
“He was essentially, sort of, half innocent. I don’t know what they do that he’s still in jail,” Trump said.
However, he added that he was “more likely a no” on granting clemency to the rapper — though he has been known to reconsider such decisions in high-profile matters.
Diddy’s conviction came after a widely publicized trial that revisited his controversial past, including resurfaced video evidence of his violent assault on ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, which reignited public outrage.
During sentencing earlier this month, Judge Arun Subramanian condemned the rapper’s conduct, describing his actions as “savage” and stressing the “irreparable harm” inflicted on his victims.
“The evidence presented painted a disturbing picture of repeated abuse and moral decay,” the judge stated before handing down the 50-month sentence.
With both the White House denying involvement and the defense team preparing an appeal, Diddy’s legal battle appears far from over. For now, the hip-hop star remains behind bars in Brooklyn as his team fights to overturn his conviction.