Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyer, Nicole Westmoreland, told CNN that Diddy’s legal team has talked to people from the Trump team about a possible pardon. This happened after Diddy was found guilty last month of two crimes for helping people travel for prostitution. He was found not guilty of more serious crimes like sex trafficking and racketeering.
Even though he avoided the most serious charges, Diddy still faces up to 20 years in prison. Experts think he might get 4 to 5 years, but prosecutors now say they might ask for more. His sentence will be decided later this year.
Former President Donald Trump said in an interview that pardoning Diddy would be “hard” because Diddy was unfriendly to him when he was running for president. But Diddy’s lawyer said Diddy is still hopeful he might get a pardon.
During the two-month trial, the government said Diddy ran a group that forced women, including Cassie Ventura and another woman called “Jane,” to take drugs and have sex with male escorts at parties called “Freak Offs.” The prosecutors brought in 34 people to testify. Diddy’s lawyers called no witnesses and gave a short defense that lasted only 30 minutes.
Westmoreland said their plan was to tell the truth. She said Diddy did not do what he was accused of, and the case should not have been taken to court. She thinks the jury understood that.
Westmoreland also questioned some important witnesses in the trial, like singer Dawn Richard and Cassie’s friend Bryana Bongolan. Bongolan said Diddy once held her over a hotel balcony. But Westmoreland showed records that proved Diddy was in New York on that day, not in Los Angeles where the incident was supposed to have happened. The judge said this was a powerful moment in the trial. Bongolan later said she might have gotten the date wrong but still believes the event happened.
Diddy has been in jail in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024. The judge has refused to let him out on bail, even after his team offered a $50 million bond. His lawyers say he is not dangerous and won’t try to run. They’ve also asked for the judge to throw out the charges or give him a new trial.
