White House says 'zero truth' to report Trump may commute Sean Diddy Combs' prison sentence

The White House on Tuesday denied allegations in a rebuke that President Donald Trump was considering commuting Sean “Diddy” Combs’ prison sentence as early as this week. The administration accused TMZ of fabricating the story. “There is no truth to the TMZ report, which we would have gladly explained if they had contacted us prior to releasing their fake news,” the White House is said to have said in a statement. “The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decision on pardons and commutations,” the statement added. The entertainment news site, which originally reported the story Monday citing a “high-ranking White House official,” stood by its reporting, saying, “The White House communications office says our story is not true. We stand by our story. Our story is accurate.” Diddy’s request for clemency Combs’ representatives informally expressed interest in a presidential pardon following his sentencing earlier this month. Trump acknowledged Combs’ request during an Oct. 6 press briefing. “A lot of people have asked me for forgiveness,” Trump said. “I call him Puff Daddy; he apologized to me.” Combs’ conviction Combs, who was arrested in September 2024 on charges including sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to participate in prostitution, was acquitted of the most serious charges in July, but found guilty on two prostitution charges. On Oct. 3, he was sentenced to 50 months in prison, fined $500,000 and ordered to serve five years of supervised release. Combs was being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.