Sean Diddy Combs accuses Netflix of using 'stolen footage' in the docuseries; 50 Cent says 'It’s not personal'

Sean "Diddy" Combs is once again making headlines, and this time for an upcoming documentary. The rap mogul has slammed the four-part Netflix series Sean Combs: The Reckoning, calling it a "shameful hit piece" that has "stolen footage that was never authorised for release." Releasing on December 2, the series is executive-produced by rapper 50 Cent. It is said to explore Combs’ rise, influence, and controversies.

As per Variety, the statement from Combs’ spokesperson came just one day before the documentary’s global launch. It arrived after Good Morning America aired an interview with 50 Cent and director Alexandria Stapleton. It also featured clips from the documentary that included intimate footage from the days leading up to Combs’ September 2024 arrest.

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What did Diddy's spokesperson say?

According to Diddy’s spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, the teaser contains "private moments, pre-indictment material from an unfinished project and conversations involving legal strategy," which could not have been legally acquired.

"Netflix’s so-called ‘documentary’ is a shameful hit piece," it said. "Today’s GMA teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorized for release," the statement further added. The spokesperson stated that Diddy has been "amassing footage since he was 19 to tell his own story, in his own way," and accused Netflix of taking his personal recordings out of context for sensationalism. The spokesperson also called out Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, saying Combs "long respected" him and never expected the streaming giant to "give his life story to someone who has publicly attacked him for decades."

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Feud between Combs and 50 Cent

One of the major issues Combs has with the series is the involvement of executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who has been Diddy's longtime rival. The statement says, "staggering that Netflix handed creative control to Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson - a longtime adversary with a personal vendetta who has spent too much time slandering Mr. Combs." 50 Cent has denied any accusations that the documentary was driven by personal issues. "It’s not personal. If I didn’t say anything, hip-hop is fine with his behaviour. There’s no one else being vocal," he said on Good Morning America.

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Netflix responds

Though the OTT giant has not addressed Combs’ allegations directly, the director, Alexandria Stapleton, stated, "We obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights. One thing about Sean Combs is that he’s always filmed himself - it’s been an obsession for decades."Stapleton also said that the team had reached out to Combs’ legal representatives multiple times for interviews, but “did not receive a response.”

About Sean Combs: The Reckoning

The series reportedly begins with a phone call recorded six days before Diddy’s 2024 federal indictment. In the clip, he tells his attorney, "I want to fight for my life. We’re losing."

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The documentary contains exclusive interviews from former associates, ex-employees, childhood friends, and artists once connected to him. It also features never-before-seen material related to Combs’ public image, legal row, and his eventual conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of sex-trafficking and racketeering charges, which could have given him a life sentence.

At present, he is serving a 50-month prison sentence in New Jersey while appealing his case. Reportedly, the rapper also faces a new investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over an alleged 2020 harassment incident.

Sean Combs: The Reckoning premieres worldwide on Netflix on December 2.