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White House Flames TMZ Over Fake Celebrity Commutation Rumors

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Sean Combs
Photo Credit: Nikeush, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump’s pardon powers are under attack after rumors of a Sean “Diddy” Combs clemency spread through Hollywood and the media.

The White House rapidly denied a TMZ report claiming that Trump was considering commuting rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sentence for sex crimes.

TMZ said the president might act “as early as this week,” citing an anonymous “high-ranking White House official” who alleged that Trump was “vacillating,” but would “do what he wants.”

On Tuesday, the White House countered the report, accusing TMZ of running the story without contacting the administration.

“There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,” the statement read.

“The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.” TMZ maintained that its reporting was accurate.

When asked by a CNN reporter about a potential pardon for Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump revealed that Combs had personally requested clemency.

“I have a lot of people [who] have asked me for pardons,” the president said. “I call him Puff Daddy, has asked me for a pardon.”

Trump noted that he had once been friendly with Combs but their relationship cooled after the rapper criticized him upon taking office.

In an August interview with Newsmax, Trump suggested that a pardon for Combs was “more likely a no,” while acknowledging the rapper’s unusual situation.

“Well he was essentially, sort of, half-innocent. I don’t know what they do that he’s still in jail or something. He was celebrating a victory but I guess it wasn’t as good a victory,” he said.

The president recalled his past relationship with Combs, noting that as fellow New Yorkers, they had gotten along well. “I was very friendly with him, get along with him great, seemed like a nice guy, didn’t know him well,” Trump said.

Combs was convicted in July of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, though he was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering.

He has been in prison since his September 2024 arrest and was sentenced earlier this month to four years and two months, along with a $500,000 fine. Combs’ attorneys indicated plans to appeal the two transportation convictions.

In a two-page notice filed with the Federal District Court of New York, attorney Alexandra Shapiro indicated the appeal but did not provide detailed legal reasoning.

Previous filings suggested that the prostitution charges were outdated remnants of the Mann Act, rarely used today. Additional documentation from the legal team is expected in the coming weeks.

Trump recently commuted the sentence of former Rep. George Santos, who served time for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

“George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”

The president also criticized Democratic lawmakers for what he described as worse behavior.

“George Santos was somewhat of a ‘rogue,’ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” Trump wrote, accusing Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) of lying about his military record.

He praised Santos, the first openly gay House Republican, for having “the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”

Santos’ attorney, Joe Murray, confirmed the former congressman’s release around 11 p.m. Friday night.

Santos had been expelled from Congress after fabricating a majority of his resume and campaign finance reports. He reported to prison in July following his seven-year sentence.

On Sunday, Santos told CNN he does not plan to run for office for the next decade. “I can tell you this, not that I can see of in the next decade. I’m all politicked out,” he said.

Santos described his time in prison as humbling, noting that he bears “the scorn of my poor choices and my poor decisions.”

He also affirmed he would pay $370,000 in restitution if required, although a White House clemency order granted him relief from fines, restitution, probation, supervised release, or any other conditions.

“I have been granted a second chance,” Santos said. “I have made a very concise decision to apply that for good and use that to make amends with my community, with my friends, with my family and those who I have left a sour taste in their mouth.”

He compared his pardon to the crucifixion of Jesus during the CNN interview. “I’m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics,” he said.

Regarding the more than 100 Republicans who voted to expel him from Congress, Santos said, “I understand. I was in a chaotic ball of flame two years ago. I was my own worst enemy. I’m sorry.”

He also apologized to “the American people,” the 3rd congressional district, and Republican Party leadership, noting, “I’m sorry. I genuinely am sorry.”

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