Sean 'Diddy' Combs' legal team have "reached out" to US President Donald Trump about the possibility of a pardon

Nicole Westmoreland of his legal team told CNN: "It's my understanding that we've reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon."

The Bad Boy Records founder is optimistic about his chances of a pardon.

Asked how he feels about the possibility, Nicole added: "[Combs] is a very hopeful person and I believe that he remains hopeful."

A White House official said they would "not comment on the existence or nonexistence of any clemency request."

However, Trump, 79, recently admitted he would find it "difficult" to pardon Combs because the rapper was "very hostile" towards him.

Speaking to Newsmax host Rob Finnerty, he said: "Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent. [He's] still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn't as good of a victory...

"I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great, and [he] seemed like a nice guy. I didn't know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile.

"It's hard, you know? We're human beings. And we don't like to have things cloud our judgment, right? 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."

Back in May, Trump - who previously described Combs as a "good friend" - insisted he wouldn't let people's personal opinions of him cloud his judgement when it came to a pardon.

He said of the rapper: "I haven't seen him, I haven't spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up. I read some little bit nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden."

Of a potential pardon, he added: "I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody is mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me."

Despite their previous friendliness, Combs argued in 2020 that Trump should be "banished".

He told Charlamagne tha God: "White men like Trump need to be banished. That way of thinking is real dangerous. This man literally threatened the lives of us and our families about going to vote ...

"The number one priority is to get Trump out of office."

The I'll Be Missing You hitmaker - who was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges - faces up to 20 years in prison.