U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not grant a pardon to music executive Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, even as federal authorities have now set an official release date for the imprisoned hip-hop mogul.
The twin developments mark a defining moment in one of the most high-profile celebrity criminal cases in recent U.S. history.
Trump revealed that Combs personally appealed to him for clemency through a written request, but said he has no intention of intervening in the case.
Speaking in a recent interview, Trump acknowledged receiving the letter and confirmed that the request would not be acted upon.
“I did receive a letter asking for a pardon,” Trump said. “But it’s not something I’m planning to grant.”
The former president’s decision effectively closes the door on a potential early release through executive clemency, leaving Combs to serve out his sentence unless his ongoing legal appeals succeed.
Under U.S. law, a presidential pardon or commutation can reduce or eliminate a federal sentence, but such decisions remain entirely discretionary and are often influenced by political, legal and public-interest considerations.
Combs, 55, is currently serving a 50-month federal prison sentence following his 2025 conviction on prostitution-related charges.
In October 2025, a federal judge handed Combs the sentence along with a substantial financial penalty and ordered that he serve a period of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
His legal team has since mounted several challenges to the conviction and sentence, arguing that elements of the trial were flawed and that the punishment was excessive.
To date, those efforts have not resulted in any sentence reduction.
As Trump publicly rejected the pardon request, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) updated Combs’ inmate records to reflect a projected release date in May 2028.
The date accounts for standard federal sentencing guidelines, including potential reductions for good-conduct time, which can slightly shorten an inmate’s term if they adhere to prison regulations.
While release dates can change based on disciplinary infractions or successful court motions, BOP projections are widely regarded as the most reliable indicator of when a federal inmate is expected to regain freedom.
Trump’s refusal to grant clemency appears to be influenced not only by the nature of the conviction but also by his personal history with Combs.
The former president has previously referenced past tensions, noting that the music executive had been publicly critical of him during his time in office.
Although Trump did not expand on those remarks, he suggested that the strained relationship factored into his decision.