Will Diddy get pardoned by President Trump? It’s a conversation that has been going on since before the embattled music mogul was even convicted. Now that the Bad Boy founder has been sentenced to 50 months in prison, there’s been even more drama surrounding whether the POTUS will free Puff.
On Monday (Oct. 20), TMZ reported that The Donald was “vacillating” on a commutation for Diddy, citing a “high-ranking White House official.” However, on Tuesday (Oct. 21), NBC News countered the celebrity news site’s reporting with a statement.
“There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,” a White House official told NBC News in a statement. “The President, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.”
TMZ responded by saying they stand by their reporting. The same day, Deadline ran a story saying sources tell them President Trump has cooled on the idea of pardoning Diddy due to the possibility of MAGA backlash.
Back in May, Trump left the door open for the possibility of giving Diddy a hall pass.
“I’d look at what’s happening,” Trump told the assembled press during a meeting in the Oval Office. “And I haven’t been watching it too closely. Though it is certainly getting a lot of coverage. I haven’t spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot. I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up.”
“I would certainly look at the facts,” Trump continued. “If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact.”
In July, Diddy was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. On Oct. 3, he was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison.
XXL has reached out to President Trump’s camp and Diddy’s team for comment.
Watch President Trump Talk About the Possibility of Pardoning Diddy
