Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyer announced on Tuesday that they have reached out to President Donald Trump to discuss a pardon for Combs, who is facing sentencing in October for charges related to prostitution.
Nicole Westmoreland informed CNN that Combs’ legal representatives have made contact with Trump regarding a potential pardon. Westmoreland stated that Combs is “hopeful” about the chance of receiving a pardon.
While a White House official declined CNN’s request for comment, Trump suggested to Newsmax on Friday that he was unlikely to pardon Combs.
Commenting on Combs, Trump said, “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.”
On July 2, Combs was found guilty of charges related to the transportation for the purpose of prostitution. However, he was cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. His legal team argued that the 1910 Mann Act used in his prosecution hasn’t previously been applied to individuals involved in a consensual “swingers” lifestyle.
Following Combs’ conviction, his lawyers requested his release on a $1 million bond. Judge Subramanian rejected the request, pointing to evidence of Combs’ violent behavior towards former girlfriends. The judge emphasized that Combs’ illegal activities continued even after federal authorities had executed a search of his home.
Subramanian concluded that Combs’ behavior demonstrated a “disregard for the rule of law and a propensity for violence.” Furthermore, a letter from a lawyer representing Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, was presented to the court, arguing against Combs’ release.
On Monday, Judge Subramanian denied Combs’ second bail request.
During the trial, jurors heard testimony from three women who accused Combs of physical or sexual abuse. Ventura, who dated Combs from 2007 to 2018, testified that Combs “stifled” her music career while forcing her to participate in “freak offs,” which often entailed her having sex with other men in Combs’ presence. Ventura said the drug-fueled ordeals left her sleep-deprived and dehydrated, as they would last for days on end.
Another victim, who used the alias “Mia,” worked as Combs’ assistant for eight years. She accused Combs of forcing her to perform oral sex and sneaking into her bed to penetrate her without her consent. She also claimed Combs hurled objects at her and threw her against a wall.
A third woman, who used the pseudonym “Jane,” dated Combs from 2021 to 2024. She testified about “hotel nights,” which allegedly were sexual rendezvous arranged by Combs. Combs reportedly watched these encounters, which Jane said she had to be under the influence of drugs to participate.
The defense did not call a single witness to testify. Instead, they presented texts between Combs and the alleged victims, which they believe proved the sex encounters were consensual and non-coercive. They compared Combs and Ventura to “swingers” — and claimed the issues in their relationship stemmed from Combs dating other women, not from the alleged “freak offs.”
Combs turned down a plea deal days before his trial began.
[Feature Photo: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File]
