--- title: Will Diddy Be the Next Celebrity Pardoned by Trump? description: Combs is currently on trial in New York for alleged sex trafficking and other crimes. canonical: https://time.com/7290156/diddy-next-celebrity-trump-pardon/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-05-30T20:40:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-05-30T21:12:49.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Will Diddy Be the Next Celebrity Pardoned by Trump? og:description: He's not ruling it out. Combs is currently on trial in New York for alleged sex trafficking and other crimes. og:url: https://time.com/7290156/diddy-next-celebrity-trump-pardon/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06b9919634ea38a0/6998c71183ec37508bc7aa1e/GettyImages-2217854111.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: President Trump Holds Press Conference With Elon Musk in White House's Oval Office og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Will Diddy Be the Next Celebrity Pardoned by Trump? twitter:description: He's not ruling it out. Combs is currently on trial in New York for alleged sex trafficking and other crimes. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06b9919634ea38a0/6998c71183ec37508bc7aa1e/GettyImages-2217854111.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Will Sean 'Diddy' Combs Be the Next Celebrity Pardoned by Trump? ## Video: Trump Gives Elon Musk Ceremonial Key in Oval Office Send-off [Watch (HLS stream): Trump Gives Elon Musk Ceremonial Key in Oval Office Send-off](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/mQqfowjn.m3u8) (3:32)  _Published 2025-05-30. President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, providing a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur. Musk is leaving his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, and he'll be rededicating himself to running his businesses, including electric automaker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X._  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Updated: May 30, 2025 9:12 PM UTCPublished: May 30, 2025 8:40 PM UTC  President Donald Trump, joined by Elon Musk, speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on May 30, 2025. President Donald Trump, joined by Elon Musk, speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on May 30, 2025.Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Updated: May 30, 2025 9:12 PM UTCPublished: May 30, 2025 8:40 PM UTC President Donald Trump said Friday he would look into a possible pardon for Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul who is currently on trial in New York for alleged sex trafficking and other crimes. The shocking comment from Trump came during a news conference when asked if he would consider pardoning him. “Nobody’s asked. But I know people are thinking about it,” Trump said. “I think some people have been very close to asking.” Combs was [arrested](https://time.com/7022047/sean-diddy-combs-sex-trafficking-charges/) in September over accusations of racketeering, and drugging and coercing women into sexual relations with him and others. If convicted, he could face life in prison. The federal investigation into Combs was spurred in part by a 2023 civil lawsuit filed by Combs’ ex-partner Cassie Ventura, in which she alleged he had engaged in physical abuse and rape. While the case was [settled](https://time.com/6336583/sean-combs-cassie-rape-abuse-lawsuit/) shortly thereafter, numerous other victims filed lawsuits against Combs for similar sexual assault allegations in the following months. Combs had initially denied Ventura’s allegations. Then in May 2024, [CNN released CCTV footage](https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/17/entertainment/video/sean-diddy-combs-cassie-venture-surveillance-digvid) from a Los Angeles hotel hallway where Combs was seen punching and kicking Ventura in 2016\. Combs released a video statement on Instagram [saying his behavior](https://time.com/6979840/diddy-sean-combs-admits-assaulting-cassie-video-apology/) was “inexcusable.” His defense team has admitted that he was violent toward Ventura, but contends that he is not guilty of the charges he is currently facing in the trial. Combs has previously denied sexually assaulting anyone. Trump said that he hasn’t been watching the trial, which began in early May, but noted that “it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage." The President added that he hasn’t seen or spoken to Combs in years, but that the two New Yorkers had crossed paths before. “He used to really like me a lot,” Trump said of their relationship. “I think when I ran for politics…that relationship busted up, from what I read. I don’t know—he didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some little bit nasty statements.” Trump and Diddy were together at the 2005 Art for Life Gala honoring Diddy at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. They were also both photographed, along with First Lady Melania Trump, at a United Nations event in 2008\. “I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me.”  From left, Sean Combs, Donald Trump and Melania Trump attend a UNICEF fundraiser at the United Nations on Feb. 6, 2008 in New York City. JOE SCHILDHORN—Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Pardoning Combs if he’s found guilty would be a highly controversial move, given the sexual assault allegations and public attention surrounding the case. But Trump has already pardoned a number of celebrities—both in his first term and his second term. This month, his pardons included reality TV stars [Todd and Julie Chrisley](https://time.com/7289241/todd-julie-chrisley-trump-pardon/) and rapper NBA YoungBoy. He has also issued a blanket [pardon for everyone who participated in the Jan. 6 riot](https://time.com/7260570/cpac-trump-pardon-jan-6/). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7290156/diddy-next-celebrity-trump-pardon/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7290156/diddy-next-celebrity-trump-pardon/"},"headline":"Will Sean 'Diddy' Combs Be the Next Celebrity Pardoned by Trump?","datePublished":"2025-05-30T20:40:46.000Z","dateModified":"2025-05-30T21:12:49.000Z","description":"Combs is currently on trial for alleged sex trafficking and other crimes.","url":"https://time.com/7290156/diddy-next-celebrity-trump-pardon/","keywords":["Donald Trump"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06b9919634ea38a0/6998c71183ec37508bc7aa1e/GettyImages-2217854111.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nik Popli","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/nik-popli/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06b9919634ea38a0/6998c71183ec37508bc7aa1e/GettyImages-2217854111.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Trump Holds Press Conference With Elon Musk in White House's Oval Office","caption":"President Trump Holds Press Conference With Elon Musk in White House's Oval Office","creditText":"Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7290156/diddy-next-celebrity-trump-pardon/","name":"Will Sean 'Diddy' Combs Be the Next Celebrity Pardoned by Trump?"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Trump Gives Elon Musk Ceremonial Key in Oval Office Send-off","description":"President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, providing a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur. 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