US President Donald Trump has revealed he has no intention of granting a presidential pardon to disgraced music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs, describing the incarcerated rapper as "very hostile" towards him.
A Friendship Turned Sour
The pair, once photographed together at high-profile events in the late 1990s, saw their relationship deteriorate when Mr Trump first ran for the presidency in 2016. According to the President, Combs made "nasty statements" and "terrible statements" about him during that campaign, a factor that now clouds the pardon request.
"I got along with him great. Seemed like a nice guy. I didn't know him well," Mr Trump told the press last year. "But when I ran for office, he was very hostile... It's hard. We're human beings. We don't like to have things cloud our judgment, right?"
The Conviction and the Plea for Clemency
Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the 56-year-old founder of Bad Boy Records and father of seven, was sentenced to 50 months in prison in October after being found guilty on prostitution-related charges. He was acquitted on the more serious counts of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Less than three months into his jail term, Combs reportedly sent a personal letter to the White House formally requesting a pardon. When questioned by the New York Times about the details, President Trump responded, "Oh, would you like to see that letter?" but did not subsequently produce the document.
No Path to Freedom
President Trump's comments, initially made in an interview in May of last year and reiterated recently, paint a grim picture for Combs's hopes of an early release. The President has made it clear that the past hostility has made the prospect of granting clemency "more difficult."
"When you knew someone and you were fine and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements. So, I don't know," Mr Trump stated. "It's more difficult. Makes it more, I'm being honest, makes it more difficult to do."
With the President unmoved by the request, it appears Sean 'Diddy' Combs will serve the remainder of his sentence, which was handed down following his conviction last year.
