Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, made a surprise appearance at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ongoing federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial on Friday.
On Thursday, reports surfaced that Ye had been in contact with Diddy’s family about possibly attending the trial to show his support for the embattled Bad Boy Records founder. Despite the serious allegations against Diddy, Ye has remained publicly supportive—backing him through lyrics and even launching a Sean John x Yeezy collaboration.
In a February update on X, Ye tagged President Joe Biden and former president—and self-proclaimed “failed steak salesman”—Donald Trump, urging them to “Please free my brother Puff.” That same month, Ye sparked controversy after being seen publicly wearing a swastika T-shirt.
As for Trump, he recently told a Fox News reporter he would “look at the facts” when asked whether he’d consider a pardon for Diddy, who’s been in custody since September and is facing an eight-week trial in New York for sex trafficking and racketeering.
According to TMZ, Ye’s visit to the courthouse on Friday was short—about 30 minutes. Footage from the scene showed him being welcomed by Diddy’s son, Christian Combs, upon arrival.
Reporter Shawn Setaro has been present throughout Diddy’s ongoing trial, which has featured high-profile testimony from Cassie Ventura, Kid Cudi, and others. Ye weighed in on Cudi’s involvement, posting on X, “I wish Cudi hadn’t testified against Puff.”
Diddy has continued to deny all allegations against him. After rejecting a proposed plea deal earlier in the proceedings, he now faces a potential minimum sentence of 15 years if convicted.
