EXCLUSIVE: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trolled for Getting Backing From One of World's Most Notorious Convicted Rapists — 'Is That the Best He Can Get?'
Sean 'Diddy' Combs is said to have reached out to Mike Tyson for help.
Jan. 28 2026, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal Sean 'Diddy' Combs is facing fresh ridicule after it was claimed he relied on the backing of convicted rapist Mike Tyson to deliver his plea for presidential mercy – sparking disbelief from critics who are now asking: "Is that the best he can get?!"
The disgraced rapper, 56, jailed in 2025 for four years after being found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, is understood to have sought a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump, 79, through a letter hand-delivered to the White House.
Mike Tyson Comes Through For Combs
Mike Tyson delivered a hand-written appeal to the White House on behalf of the rapper.
Insiders said the letter was passed to Tyson, 59, during a private meeting with one of Combs' closest associates and then delivered during the ex-boxer's visit to Washington in November.
Trump has told reporters Combs "asked me for a pardon," adding that the request from the Bad Boy Records founder came "through a letter."
A source said, "Mike was approached quietly by someone very close to Diddy and asked to do what was framed as a personal favor. He was handed a sealed letter and only then told it was a direct appeal to Trump for a presidential pardon. That immediately put him in an awkward spot. He understood the gravity of what he was being asked to carry and who it involved."
"Mike admitted he was uncomfortable, but he also didn't push back and agreed to deliver it when he already had business at the White House," the insider claimed. "He did exactly what Diddy's camp requested and passed the letter on without adding anything of his own. Still, among people who later heard about it, the reaction was disbelief more than anything else. Given Mike's past and reputation, a lot of observers were openly asking, 'Is that the best he can get?!' because of the optics."
The Backlash Over Tyson's Involvement
Tyson is said to have felt uncomfortable carrying the sealed letter to Washington.
The involvement of Tyson – himself one of the most infamous figures in American sport – has amplified the backlash.
Tyson was convicted of raping beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington, now 53, in Indianapolis in 1992 after an incident the previous year.
He served three years of a six-year prison sentence before being released on parole in 1995.
The heavyweight boxer was the undisputed world champion from 1987 to 1990, a period that cemented his fame and notoriety in equal measure.
The White House was first contacted about the alleged hand delivery of Combs' letter in December.
A spokesperson did not deny Tyson may have passed on correspondence but insisted the administration's position had not shifted.
They added: "Any media reports on a Diddy pardon are not accurate. The president – not anonymous sources – is the final decider on all pardons."
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Combs’ legal team prepared a formal appeal following his four-year prison sentence.
Trump has said he is not considering handing Combs a pardon. Tyson has previously expressed public goodwill toward Combs.
In a 2024 interview, before the rapper was jailed, he said: "I wish him the best. In life, I wish him the best."
A resurfaced 1998 clip of the pair on The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show has also circulated online, filmed when Tyson had been banned from boxing after biting Evander Holyfield.
The footage shows Tyson pushing Combs' hand away as it appeared to stray too close during the appearance.
Combs' legal team has confirmed an appeal is being prepared following his sentencing, during which he wept in court and pleaded for leniency.
