logo
Donald Trump considering a pardon for Diddy

Donald Trump considering a pardon for Diddy

It appears that President Donald Trump may be considering giving rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs a 'get out of jail free card.'
These reports follow two months after the rapper was found guilty of two counts of prostitution.
Despite the seemingly good news for the rapper, the pardoning may not be set in stone just yet.
On 17 May 2024, CNN released footage showing Diddy physically assaulting singer Cassie in a hotel hallway in Los Angeles. Just two days later, Diddy posted an apology video, but the damage had already been done. Public perception had shifted and the seriousness of the incident was widely acknowledged.
On 16 September 2024, Diddy was arrested at his hotel in Manhattan following a grand jury indictment. The next day, he faced court charges for sex-trafficking, racketeering, and transportation of prostitution.
By November of the same year, over 100 additional assault allegations had surfaced against him.
The trial commenced on 12 May 2025, with Diddy pleading not guilty to the charges. By 2 July 2025, the verdict was in: he was acquitted of the more severe charges of racketeering and sex-trafficking. But, he was found guilty on two counts related to transportation for prostitution.
The trail continues as everyone awaits the sentencing details.
May 2025 was the first time President Trump hinted at the possibility of pardoning Diddy during the rapper's sex-trafficking trial.
While speaking at the Oval Office, President Trump said the following:
I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me.
The final part of the statement appeared important to add seeing as the president was unsure of whether his relationship with the rapper was still on good terms following his first election.
Recent reports, however, suggest that President Trump may be staying true to his word as he considers pardoning Diddy.
An administration source told Deadline that the president is 'seriously considering' pardoning the rapper.
It's still unclear which way President Trump is leaning, but we can expect to find out at the end of Diddy's trial later this year.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Police kill four suspects in Gauteng armed robbery ambush
Police kill four suspects in Gauteng armed robbery ambush

The South African

time3 hours ago

  • The South African

Police kill four suspects in Gauteng armed robbery ambush

Gauteng police shot and killed four suspected robbers in Randfontein on Tuesday after a gunfight with officers from the Tactical Response Team. The police intercepted the suspects after the Eastern Cape police's Crime Intelligence Unit shared information that the group was planning to rob a businessman in Randfontein. The businessman was reportedly en route to deposit a large sum of money at the bank. Officers from the Tactical Response Team spotted the suspects' vehicle travelling on Ventersdorp Road. Gauteng police deputy commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana said officers attempted to stop the vehicle, which carried four suspects. 'The suspects opened fire on our members, and the team returned fire. All four suspects were fatally wounded,' said Kekana. Police seized rifles and pistols at the scene. They also found traditional muti inside the suspects' car, including on the seats. Police noted that the vehicle had false number plates. A sticker on the petrol cap read: 'Prayer is the key.' Commenting on the failed robbery, Kekana said, 'Neither worked for them, not their muti nor the prayers. They were doing something they shouldn't have, and even the prayers ended up helping the police.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Trafficked with impunity — Sierra Leone's young migrants at the mercy of smugglers
Trafficked with impunity — Sierra Leone's young migrants at the mercy of smugglers

Daily Maverick

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Maverick

Trafficked with impunity — Sierra Leone's young migrants at the mercy of smugglers

Implementing Sierra Leone's new law against human trafficking would protect desperate young people and women from exploitation in the Middle East. Sierra Leonean migrants seeking better lives abroad are increasingly caught in a web of forced labour under the guise of work programmes in the Middle East. Two-thirds of the country's young people, who make up 74.5% of the population, have no meaningful employment, making them an easy target for fake recruitment agents and trafficking networks. Women are particularly vulnerable, says Informal Workers Organisation Founder and CEO Chelcy Heroe. In 2020, Senegalese law enforcement cracked a human smuggling ring specialising in trafficking young women from Sierra Leone to the Middle East. The suspects were harbouring 87 Sierra Leonean women in Dakar. Unregistered agents recruit young people and women from across Sierra Leone for exploitative employment in the Middle East. They reportedly cooperate with both smuggling and trafficking networks in transit points in west and north Africa, and in destination countries. The agents use posters and social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok to promise well-paid jobs as nannies, hairdressers, maids, teachers, shop assistants and workers in the construction and hospitality sectors. They tout Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as the new frontiers for work opportunities. Migrants are required to pay the agents between $600 and $1,000 for recruitment fees, forged documents and travel costs – all in contravention of the International Labour Organization's 1997 Private Employment Agencies Convention. A 23-year-old woman who returned to the country from Lebanon told ISS Today that she had sold family possessions and land to raise funds to cover the travel costs. Other migrants stole or borrowed money, making it difficult to return home without being prosecuted or considered failures. Over the years, fake agents have devised a 'mixed' travel itinerary involving land transport to neighbouring countries before air transport to the Middle East. There are three reasons this approach is used for the difficult journey, which young people commonly call the 'Temple Run', referring to a video game where players navigate obstacles for end rewards. First, land transport via regional hubs such as Ghana and Senegal is cheaper than flying directly from Sierra Leone. Second, travelling first to neighbouring countries enables smugglers to exploit the migrants further. Returned migrants told ISS Today: 'The agents said their travel dates have been delayed and asked us to find work before our flight is confirmed.' Smugglers then broker informal jobs for the migrants and take a cut of their pay. Migrants who can't pay the full fee in Sierra Leone are offered a trip to a neighbouring country to do informal labour to pay for their onward journey to the Middle East. Many are forced to work in Diamniadio, a district near Dakar, where huge construction projects attract cheap labour. These migrants risk arrest in Senegal for working illegally or overstaying the number of days stipulated by the Economic Community of West African States' free movement protocol. Some women are forced into sex work in areas such as Senegal's Kédougou gold mine, where they often remain captive until they escape or are no longer beneficial to the traffickers. Heroe says women also end up in forced labour and become sex slaves in transit and destination countries. The third reason for the mixed travel itinerary is to evade the Sierra Leone government's increasing scrutiny of illegal labour recruitment to the Middle East. A two-year moratorium on all recruitment from abroad was introduced in 2019 due to reports of exploitative treatment in the Middle East. Although the moratorium was lifted in 2021, increased security checks have prompted smugglers to detour through neighbouring countries. Once migrants arrive in the Middle East, their passports are withheld by employers and they are forced into unpaid labour, sometimes for years. The Middle East's kafala sponsorship system, which legally designates employers as the guardians of migrant employees, provides opportunities for exploitation. Although Sierra Leone's government has memorandums of understanding on safe labour recruitment with Lebanon, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, abuse of migrant workers persists. Employers work with the recruiting and smuggling networks to benefit from unpaid and forced labour. Sierra Leone, along with the international community and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), should engage Middle Eastern countries to pass new labour regulations to protect migrant workers. The government has initiated a return and reintegration assistance programme for migrants who have escaped from their employers or are stranded in the Middle East. In 2021 alone, Sierra Leone cooperated with the IOM to repatriate 2,112 migrants from the Middle East. Over the past four years the IOM's debt repayment scheme has helped returning migrants pay their debts to families and friends. It also offers therapy, skills training and interest-free loans to start businesses to help provide viable economic pathways for young people. The government must fully implement its 2022 Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act, which criminalises migrant smuggling for the first time. However, years of neglecting exploitative travel abroad and smuggling have fostered impunity, with many state actors implicated. Aiah Nabieu Mokuwah, the executive director of the country's Institute for Drug Control and Human Security, says that 'despite several cases of returnees, there have been limited efforts by the government to investigate or proactively seek out the identity of the agents and smugglers who sell fictitious dreams of 'work abroad' to youths in communities'. Resources must be committed to investigating and prosecuting fraudulent recruitment agencies and smugglers. The government should also take the lead in sensitising communities to the harms of exploitative recruitment programmes, particularly in light of the 'Temple Run' mindset. Building trust with the public will encourage people to report migrant smugglers and recruitment agents who infiltrate communities and use social media to lure customers. DM Ndubuisi Christian Ani, senior researcher and project coordinator, ENACT, Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

Coco speaks out on her fallout with Nozipho Ntshangase
Coco speaks out on her fallout with Nozipho Ntshangase

The South African

time4 hours ago

  • The South African

Coco speaks out on her fallout with Nozipho Ntshangase

Former The Mommy Club star Nozipho Ntshangase's stepdaughter, Coco, is trending after dropping explosive details about her strained relationship with her. Coco left tongues wagging after taking to Instagram to post a selfie with her new stepmother, Misokuhle. The 25 year old recently married her father, Zola Ntshangase in a stunning traditional and white wedding. On The Mommy Club , Nozipho opened up about how deeply hurt she was by Zola's decision to take a second wife. She shared that she didn't support the idea of a polygamous marriage and chose to walk away. Coco's post sparked harsh criticism from former Real Housewives of Durban (RHOD) star Ameigh Thompson, who appeared to suggest that you can't change a child you didn't birth. The remark didn't sit well with Coco, who has since released a statement addressing Thompson's comments. She further opened up about her complex relationship with her stepmother. Coco shared that she moved in with Nozipho in 2023, but their dynamic has since changed. 'Regarding my relationship with Mama (Nozipho), things have changed. The last time we spoke was when I told her I'll be attending the wedding, and after that, there was silence.' Coco stated their father didn't suddenly decide to marry again but they were misled, but now they know the truth. She hinted that certain details were hidden and implied that the whole story is not yet public knowledge. She believes that one day, her brothers will also speak out and share their side of the story. Coco said attending her father's wedding to Misokuhle was entirely their decision; no one forced them. She said they chose to attend the wedding because they genuinely wanted to support their father. 'We went because we love our father deeply and genuinely wanted to support hmi, during this time. It wasn't about choosing sides, it was about showing love to our parents, simply,' she said. DO YOU THINK COCO WAS WRONG FOR SHARING THE SELFIE? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store