diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 195ac61d..6bf25f89 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 
 ### Fixed
 
+* fix: update post date to current time when publishing from custom status by @GaryJones in [#856](https://github.com/Automattic/Edit-Flow/pull/856)
 * fix: resolve calendar drag-and-drop not persisting post date changes by @GaryJones in [#854](https://github.com/Automattic/Edit-Flow/pull/854)
 * fix: guard against null return from get_edit_post_link() and get_permalink() by @GaryJones in [#853](https://github.com/Automattic/Edit-Flow/pull/853)
 * fix: prevent get_custom_statuses() from corrupting WordPress's term cache by @GaryJones in [#852](https://github.com/Automattic/Edit-Flow/pull/852)
diff --git a/modules/custom-status/custom-status.php b/modules/custom-status/custom-status.php
index 8e18e538..d8bfa5c4 100644
--- a/modules/custom-status/custom-status.php
+++ b/modules/custom-status/custom-status.php
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ public function init() {
 			add_action( 'admin_init', [ $this, 'check_timestamp_on_publish' ] );
 			add_filter( 'wp_insert_post_data', [ $this, 'fix_custom_status_timestamp' ], 10, 2 );
 			add_filter( 'wp_insert_post_data', [ $this, 'maybe_keep_post_name_empty' ], 10, 2 );
+			add_filter( 'wp_insert_post_data', [ $this, 'update_post_date_on_publish_from_custom_status' ], 10, 2 );
 			add_filter( 'pre_wp_unique_post_slug', [ $this, 'fix_unique_post_slug' ], 10, 6 );
 			add_filter( 'preview_post_link', [ $this, 'fix_preview_link_part_one' ] );
 			add_filter( 'post_link', [ $this, 'fix_preview_link_part_two' ], 10, 3 );
@@ -1396,6 +1397,63 @@ public function fix_custom_status_timestamp( $data, $postarr ) {
 			return $data;
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Update post_date to current time when publishing from a custom status.
+		 *
+		 * When a post with a custom status (like "Pitch" or "Assigned") is published,
+		 * the post_date should reflect the actual publication time, not the original
+		 * creation time. This matches WordPress core behavior for 'draft' and 'pending'.
+		 *
+		 * @since 0.10.0
+		 *
+		 * @see https://github.com/Automattic/Edit-Flow/issues/750
+		 *
+		 * @param array $data    An array of slashed, sanitized post data.
+		 * @param array $postarr An array of sanitized post data.
+		 * @return array Modified post data with updated post_date if applicable.
+		 */
+		public function update_post_date_on_publish_from_custom_status( $data, $postarr ) {
+			// Only process when transitioning to 'publish' status.
+			if ( 'publish' !== $data['post_status'] ) {
+				return $data;
+			}
+
+			// Must be an existing post (have an ID) for this to be a status transition.
+			if ( empty( $postarr['ID'] ) ) {
+				return $data;
+			}
+
+			// Get the current post from the database to check its current status.
+			$current_post = get_post( $postarr['ID'] );
+			if ( ! $current_post ) {
+				return $data;
+			}
+
+			// If already published, scheduled, or private, don't change the date.
+			$published_statuses = [ 'publish', 'future', 'private' ];
+			if ( in_array( $current_post->post_status, $published_statuses, true ) ) {
+				return $data;
+			}
+
+			// If the post had an explicitly set GMT date (scheduled), don't change it.
+			if ( ! empty( $current_post->post_date_gmt )
+				&& '0000-00-00 00:00:00' !== $current_post->post_date_gmt ) {
+				return $data;
+			}
+
+			// If the user is explicitly setting a different date in this update, respect it.
+			// Compare the incoming post_date with the current post_date.
+			if ( ! empty( $postarr['post_date'] ) && $postarr['post_date'] !== $current_post->post_date ) {
+				return $data;
+			}
+
+			// Update post_date to current time.
+			$data['post_date']     = current_time( 'mysql' );
+			$data['post_date_gmt'] = current_time( 'mysql', true );
+
+			return $data;
+		}
+
 		/**
 		 * A new hack! hack! hack! until core better supports custom statuses`
 		 *
diff --git a/tests/Integration/CustomStatusPublishDateTest.php b/tests/Integration/CustomStatusPublishDateTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2cfb3f1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Integration/CustomStatusPublishDateTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,334 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Tests for post date behavior when publishing from custom statuses.
+ *
+ * @package Automattic\EditFlow\Tests\Integration
+ * @see https://github.com/Automattic/edit-flow/issues/750
+ */
+
+declare( strict_types=1 );
+
+namespace Automattic\EditFlow\Tests\Integration;
+
+use EF_Custom_Status;
+use Yoast\WPTestUtils\WPIntegration\TestCase;
+
+/**
+ * Test that post_date is updated when publishing from a custom status.
+ *
+ * When a post is created with a custom status like "Pitch" or "Assigned",
+ * and later published, the post_date should be updated to reflect the
+ * actual publication time, not the original creation time.
+ */
+class CustomStatusPublishDateTest extends TestCase {
+
+	protected static $admin_user_id;
+	protected static $ef_custom_status;
+
+	public static function wpSetUpBeforeClass( $factory ) {
+		self::$admin_user_id = $factory->user->create( array( 'role' => 'administrator' ) );
+
+		self::$ef_custom_status = new EF_Custom_Status();
+		self::$ef_custom_status->install();
+		self::$ef_custom_status->init();
+	}
+
+	public static function wpTearDownAfterClass() {
+		self::delete_user( self::$admin_user_id );
+		self::$ef_custom_status = null;
+	}
+
+	protected function setUp(): void {
+		parent::setUp();
+
+		global $pagenow;
+		$pagenow = 'post.php';
+	}
+
+	protected function tearDown(): void {
+		global $pagenow;
+		$pagenow = 'index.php';
+
+		parent::tearDown();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that publishing a post from a custom status updates post_date to current time.
+	 *
+	 * This test demonstrates the issue reported in #750:
+	 * Posts published from custom statuses retain their original creation date
+	 * instead of being updated to the actual publication date.
+	 */
+	public function test_publishing_from_custom_status_updates_post_date() {
+		// Create a post with 'pitch' status at a specific time in the past.
+		$past_date = '2020-01-15 10:30:00';
+
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_status' => 'pitch',
+				'post_author' => self::$admin_user_id,
+				'post_title'  => 'Test Post',
+				'post_date'   => $past_date,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_before = get_post( $post_id );
+
+		// Verify the post was created with the past date.
+		$this->assertEquals( $past_date, $post_before->post_date, 'Post should be created with the specified past date.' );
+		$this->assertEquals( '0000-00-00 00:00:00', $post_before->post_date_gmt, 'Custom status posts should have empty GMT date.' );
+
+		// Now publish the post (simulating what happens when an editor clicks "Publish").
+		$current_time_before_publish = current_time( 'mysql' );
+
+		wp_update_post(
+			array(
+				'ID'          => $post_id,
+				'post_status' => 'publish',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$current_time_after_publish = current_time( 'mysql' );
+
+		$post_after = get_post( $post_id );
+
+		// The post_date should be updated to reflect the actual publish time,
+		// not retain the old creation date.
+		$this->assertNotEquals(
+			$past_date,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should be updated when publishing from custom status.'
+		);
+
+		// The new post_date should be approximately the current time.
+		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(
+			$current_time_before_publish,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should be at or after the time we started publishing.'
+		);
+
+		$this->assertLessThanOrEqual(
+			$current_time_after_publish,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should be at or before the time we finished publishing.'
+		);
+
+		// post_date_gmt should also be set correctly.
+		$this->assertNotEquals(
+			'0000-00-00 00:00:00',
+			$post_after->post_date_gmt,
+			'GMT date should be set when publishing.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that publishing a post from 'draft' status updates post_date.
+	 *
+	 * Draft is a core status that Edit Flow overrides; it should behave the same way.
+	 */
+	public function test_publishing_from_draft_status_updates_post_date() {
+		$past_date = '2020-06-20 14:00:00';
+
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_status' => 'draft',
+				'post_author' => self::$admin_user_id,
+				'post_title'  => 'Draft Test Post',
+				'post_date'   => $past_date,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_before = get_post( $post_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( $past_date, $post_before->post_date );
+
+		$current_time_before_publish = current_time( 'mysql' );
+
+		wp_update_post(
+			array(
+				'ID'          => $post_id,
+				'post_status' => 'publish',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_after = get_post( $post_id );
+
+		$this->assertNotEquals(
+			$past_date,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should be updated when publishing from draft status.'
+		);
+
+		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(
+			$current_time_before_publish,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should reflect the publish time.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that publishing a post from 'pending' status updates post_date.
+	 */
+	public function test_publishing_from_pending_status_updates_post_date() {
+		$past_date = '2019-03-10 08:15:00';
+
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_status' => 'pending',
+				'post_author' => self::$admin_user_id,
+				'post_title'  => 'Pending Test Post',
+				'post_date'   => $past_date,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_before = get_post( $post_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( $past_date, $post_before->post_date );
+
+		$current_time_before_publish = current_time( 'mysql' );
+
+		wp_update_post(
+			array(
+				'ID'          => $post_id,
+				'post_status' => 'publish',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_after = get_post( $post_id );
+
+		$this->assertNotEquals(
+			$past_date,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should be updated when publishing from pending status.'
+		);
+
+		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(
+			$current_time_before_publish,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should reflect the publish time.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that a scheduled post retains its scheduled date when it becomes published.
+	 *
+	 * This is the expected behavior for scheduled posts - they should keep their
+	 * scheduled date, not update to current time.
+	 */
+	public function test_scheduled_post_retains_date_when_published() {
+		$future_date     = gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', strtotime( '+1 day' ) );
+		$future_date_gmt = get_gmt_from_date( $future_date );
+
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_status'   => 'future',
+				'post_author'   => self::$admin_user_id,
+				'post_title'    => 'Scheduled Test Post',
+				'post_date'     => $future_date,
+				'post_date_gmt' => $future_date_gmt,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_before = get_post( $post_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( $future_date, $post_before->post_date );
+		$this->assertEquals( $future_date_gmt, $post_before->post_date_gmt );
+
+		// Simulate the scheduled publish (what wp-cron does).
+		wp_update_post(
+			array(
+				'ID'          => $post_id,
+				'post_status' => 'publish',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_after = get_post( $post_id );
+
+		// Scheduled posts should retain their scheduled date.
+		$this->assertEquals(
+			$future_date,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Scheduled posts should retain their scheduled date when published.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that publishing via REST API also updates the post date.
+	 */
+	public function test_publishing_from_custom_status_via_rest_api_updates_post_date() {
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$admin_user_id );
+
+		$past_date = '2021-02-28 16:45:00';
+
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_status' => 'pitch',
+				'post_author' => self::$admin_user_id,
+				'post_title'  => 'REST API Test Post',
+				'post_date'   => $past_date,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_before = get_post( $post_id );
+		$this->assertEquals( $past_date, $post_before->post_date );
+
+		$current_time_before_publish = current_time( 'mysql' );
+
+		// Publish via REST API.
+		$request = new \WP_REST_Request( 'PUT', sprintf( '/wp/v2/posts/%d', $post_id ) );
+		$request->add_header( 'content-type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' );
+		$request->set_body_params(
+			array(
+				'status' => 'publish',
+			)
+		);
+		rest_get_server()->dispatch( $request );
+
+		$post_after = get_post( $post_id );
+
+		$this->assertNotEquals(
+			$past_date,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should be updated when publishing via REST API from custom status.'
+		);
+
+		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(
+			$current_time_before_publish,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Post date should reflect the publish time.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that if a user explicitly sets a post date before publishing, it is respected.
+	 *
+	 * If the user deliberately backdates or forward-dates a post, that should be honored.
+	 */
+	public function test_explicit_post_date_is_respected_when_publishing() {
+		$creation_date = '2020-01-15 10:30:00';
+		$explicit_date = '2023-06-15 12:00:00';
+
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_status' => 'pitch',
+				'post_author' => self::$admin_user_id,
+				'post_title'  => 'Explicit Date Test Post',
+				'post_date'   => $creation_date,
+			)
+		);
+
+		// Publish with an explicitly set date.
+		wp_update_post(
+			array(
+				'ID'          => $post_id,
+				'post_status' => 'publish',
+				'post_date'   => $explicit_date,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$post_after = get_post( $post_id );
+
+		$this->assertEquals(
+			$explicit_date,
+			$post_after->post_date,
+			'Explicitly set post date should be respected when publishing.'
+		);
+	}
+}