The disgraced music mogul was sentenced in October to four years in federal prison, for two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Trump says he’s not considering Sean Combs pardon for prostitution-related crimes

The disgraced music mogul was sentenced in October to four years in federal prison, for two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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January 8, 2026 6:58 p.m. ET

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President Donald Trump; Sean Combs. Credit:

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Steve Granitz/WireImage

Sean "Diddy" Combs' hopes for a quick release from prison appear to have been dashed.

President Donald Trump told the *New York Times *on Thursday that he is not considering pardoning the disgraced music mogul, who was sentenced to four years in federal prison in October for two prostitution-related crimes.

Trump told the *Times* that Combs "asked me for a pardon," with the request coming "through a letter." He then indicated that he is not contemplating granting clemency to Combs.

Representatives for Combs didn't immediately respond to **'s request for comment. A White House rep referred EW to Trump's remarks to the *Times* and had no further comment.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs at Invest Fest in 2023.

Paras Griffin/Getty

The White House denied last year that Trump was mulling whether to commute Combs' sentence. The two men used to travel in the same social circles as New York City elites in the 1990s, though their mutual appreciation soured after Trump got into politics and Combs voiced criticism of him.

Trump told the *Times* that Combs' past criticisms made a pardon "more difficult to do."**

Combs, 56, was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in a closely watched trial last July. Despite his partial conviction, the verdict was widely seen as a legal victory for Combs, as he was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have seen him sentenced to life in prison.**

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Prosecutors from U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York accused Combs of leading a criminal enterprise that "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct," according to an indictment.******The prosecution's star witness, Combs' ex-girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, testified through tears about enduring "freak-offs," voyeuristic drug-fueled sex marathons with male escorts that she said were orchestrated by Combs and left her feeling "humiliated."

Combs' lawyers maintained that all the sex at issue in the case was consensual. He did not testify in the trial.

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Variously known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, and Love, Combs was one of the most prominent figures in hip-hop for decades, after founding Bad Boy Records in 1993. But the rapper, producer, and entrepreneur's public image came under intense scrutiny in recent years as he was hit with a string of civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual abuses. He has denied the allegations.**

Nicolás Maduro, Robert Menendez, and Sam Bankman-Fried.

FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty; Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty; Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty

Federal agents raided two of Combs' properties in Los Angeles and Miami in March 2024, and he was arrested in Manhattan six months later, following a grand jury indictment.

On Thursday, Trump also told the *Times* that he is not considering pardons for Nicolás Maduro, the ousted leader of Venezuela now facing narco-terrorism charges; Robert Menendez, the former senator convicted on bribery and obstruction charges in 2024; or Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul convicted on seven counts of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering in 2023.

Trump has granted clemency to several celebrities in the past, including Todd and Julie Chrisley, NBA YoungBoy, Lil Wayne, and Kodak Black.**

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