Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has made a surprising appeal to the president following his recent sentencing.
The fallen music executive was apprehended at a New York hotel last September. The charges against him included sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and racketeering conspiracy, among others.
During his well-publicized court proceedings, numerous celebrities testified, including his former partner, Cassie Ventura. Ultimately, Combs was convicted of a lesser offense.
On October 3, the 55-year-old was sentenced to over four years in prison, equivalent to 50 months, after a jury found him guilty of two counts of transporting individuals for the purpose of prostitution, which violates the Mann Act.
Additionally, he was handed a $50,000 fine, which was the maximum penalty the judge could levy.
Combs has reportedly approached President Donald Trump with a striking request for a pardon.
At a press briefing, the President stated: “A lot of people have asked me for pardons. I call him Puff Daddy; he has asked me for a pardon.”
His request for a presidential pardon follows his defense team’s plea to the New York judge for a sentence not exceeding 14 months, arguing that Combs has already endured enough during his 13 months of incarceration.
Diddy’s legal team also contended that his former girlfriends were neither ‘vulnerable nor exploited, trafficked, or sexually assaulted’ during the notorious ‘freak-offs.’
The trial showcased the rapper’s multi-day, drug-infused sex gatherings, where the founder of Bad Boy Records allegedly orchestrated activities involving male sex workers and his girlfriends, while he observed.
Despite claims from former partners that they were coerced into these acts and instances of physical assault on Cassie by Combs, the jury dismissed the serious allegations of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Nonetheless, they found him guilty on two charges—one related to hiring sex workers during his relationship with the singer and another involving an unnamed former girlfriend in the trial.
Combs reportedly submitted a letter to the judge before his sentencing, pleading for ‘mercy.’
In his letter, he expressed an acknowledgment of having ‘lost his way’ and became ‘lost in the drugs and the excess.’
“My downfall was rooted in my selfishness. I have been humbled and broken to my core. The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn. Prison will change you or kill you—I choose to live.”
Following his sentencing, the father of seven was overheard apologizing to his mother and children, saying: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Combs’ lawyers, Marc Agnifilo and Brian Steel, announced their intention to appeal the verdict outside the court.
“We believe we have a robust basis for an appeal—the strongest being that the jury reached a verdict on coercion, found it was not coercion, yet the judge mentioned coercion numerous times today.”
“We regard that as unconstitutional. A jury’s verdict should hold more weight than it appears to. Thus, we are planning to appeal.”
Earlier this month, President Trump did not dismiss the possibility of granting Combs a pardon.
He commented: “Probably.. Hmm. You know, I was very friendly with him. 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.”