Sean “Diddy” Combs isn’t backing down, and is officially appealing his conviction after being found guilty on two prostitution-related charges this summer. This news comes amid conflicting reports that the White House could commute his sentence as early as this week.
According to ABC News, Diddy’s legal team filed a notice of appeal in New York’s Federal District Court this week. His lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, confirmed the move but didn’t outline the grounds of the appeal just yet.
The 55-year-old music icon has already spent a year behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. While his sentence totals 50 months, he’s hoping his next move could cut that time down significantly. Diddy’s defense has long argued that the charges, which include “transportation for the purposes of prostitution,” shouldn’t even apply to him.
At sentencing, he reportedly broke down in tears, apologizing for “the hurt that I caused” but standing firm that his mistakes don’t define who he is today.
Meanwhile, social media was buzzing after TMZ reported that Trump was considering commuting Diddy’s sentence, but the White House quickly shut those rumors down. Officials clarified that there’s “no truth” to claims of a pending commutation. But, TMZ immediately pushed back in an update to their reporting, claiming that their story about the commuting rumors was true.
“The White House Communications Office is saying our story is not true, TMZ wrote. ” We stand by our story. Our story is accurate.”
This also comes amid one of the attorneys on Combs’ defense team previously revealing that they approached Trump’s administration for a pardon.
“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Nicole Westmoreland, a member of Combs’ defense team, told CNN on Tuesday, Aug. 5. When she was asked how the Bad Boy founder feels about his chances for a pardon, Westmoreland told the outlet that Diddy “is a very hopeful person and I believe that he remains hopeful.”
Trump Previously Spoke On The Possibility Of Pardoning Diddy
As previously reported, Trump, himself, hasn’t been shy about addressing their past relationship, noting that he took issue with how “hostile” Diddy was to him during his Presidential bid.
“Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” Trump said to NewsMax. “I don’t know what they do, still in jail or something. But he was celebrating a victory, but I guess it wasn’t as good of a victory.”
“We’re human beings. We don’t like to have things cloud our judgment, right? But when you knew someone and you were fine and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements,” he continued. “So, I don’t know. It’s more difficult. Makes it more, I’m being honest, makes it more difficult to do.”
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