President Donald Trump did not reject the possibility of two high-profile pardons: Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office on Oct. 6, Trump acknowledged that Combs had requested a pardon to shorten the 50-month prison sentence he faces after being convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in July.

The same day, the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, who claimed she was wrongly prosecuted for sex trafficking. When asked about her request for a pardon, Trump said he would speak to the Department of Justice.

Between his first term and nearly nine months back in office, Trump has granted clemency to several celebrities. Who else?

Will Trump pardon Ghislaine Maxwell?

When Trump was asked about Maxwell following the Supreme Court's refusal to hear her appeal, he said he hadn't heard her name in a while.

"I'll take a look at it ... I will speak to the DOJ," Trump said. "I wouldn't consider it or not consider it, I don't know anything about it."

Maxwell has previously said she would cooperate with the Epstein investigation in exchange for a pardon or sentence commutation. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking a minor to Epstein for sexual abuse.

Will Trump pardon Sean 'Diddy' Combs?

Trump mentioned Combs when asked about Maxwell, but did not indicate whether he intended to pardon the former music mogul.

"A lot of people have asked me for pardons," Trump said on Oct. 6. "I call him Puff Daddy; he has asked me for a pardon."

In an Aug. 1 Newsmax interview, Trump appeared poised to turn down a request from Combs, agreeing with the host that it was more likely a "no."

"Yeah, and it's hard. You know, like you, we're human beings and we don't like to have things cloud our judgment, right?" Trump told Newsmax at the time. "But 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 ... it makes it more difficult to do."

In the interview, Trump was seemingly referencing Combs' expletive-filled 2017 comments in The Daily Beast, essentially saying that "(Black people) don't really" care about Trump.

What other celebrities has Trump pardoned?

Trump has a history of pardoning celebrities, including:

  • Todd and Julie Chrisley - Sentenced for bank fraud charges, pardoned in May 2025.
  • Rapper NBA YoungBoy (Legal name: Kentrell Gaulden) - Sentenced for federal gun charges, pardoned in May 2025.
  • Actor Jay Johnston was sentenced for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 people who were charged in the riot upon returning to office.
  • Lil Wayne (Legal name: Dwayne Michael Carter) - Sentenced for gun possession charges, pardoned in January 2021.
  • Kodak Black (Legal name: Bill Kapri) - Sentenced for making false statements regarding attempting to acquire a firearm. His sentence was commuted, or reduced, in January 2021.

In another high-profile act of clemency, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, when he returned to office.

Contributing: Maureen Groppe, Bart Jansen, Jay Stahl, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump talks Diddy, Ghislaine Maxwell pardon requests. See other celebrities he's pardoned

Reporting by Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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