Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs has launched a scathing attack on streaming giant Netflix and his long-time rival, rapper 50 Cent, following the surprise announcement of a new documentary series about his life and legal troubles.
Netflix Documentary Sparks Legal and Personal Feud
In late October, Netflix dropped an unexpected trailer for a four-part docuseries titled Sean Combs: The Reckoning. The series, which is scheduled for release on Tuesday, December 2, promises to chart the dramatic rise and fall of the 56-year-old founder of Bad Boy Records.
Diddy's response was swift and severe. Through his spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, he issued a statement to TMZ condemning the project. He labelled Netflix's "so-called 'documentary'" a "shameful hit piece" and asserted it confirms the platform "relied on stolen footage that was never authorized for release."
Engelmayer argued that the private footage, some of which Diddy had been accumulating since his teenage years, should have been reserved for the mogul to "tell his own story, in his own way." He accused Netflix of being "plainly desperate to sensationalize every minute of Mr. Combs's life, without regard for truth" to capitalise on media interest.
"If Netflix cared about truth or about Mr. Combs's legal rights, it would not be ripping private footage out of context — including conversations with his lawyers that were never intended for public viewing," Engelmayer added. "No rights in that material were ever transferred to Netflix or any third party."
Director's Rebuttal and the 50 Cent Factor
However, the director of The Reckoning, Alexandria Stapleton, offered a contradictory account in an interview with Netflix's publication, Tudum. She stated clearly, "It came to us, we obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights." Stapleton noted that Diddy's habit of constantly filming himself over decades had created a vast archive.
A major point of contention for Diddy's camp is Netflix's collaboration with his arch-nemesis, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. The In Da Club rapper, who is currently serving a 50-month prison sentence for prostitution offences unrelated to Diddy, has been a public critic of Combs for years.
"It is equally 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," Diddy's representative said.
The statement also took a surprisingly personal swipe at Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, mentioning Diddy's respect for the late record executive Clarence Avant, who was Sarandos's father-in-law. This was interpreted as a pointed remark about breached trust and expectations of fairness.
Background: A Stunning Fall from Grace
The documentary's release comes on the heels of Diddy's dramatic legal downfall. On Friday, October 3, he was sentenced by Judge Arun Subramanian to serve 50 months in prison and pay a $500,000 fine after being convicted on two counts of prostitution-related charges in July. He was acquitted of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Following his prison term, Combs faces another five years of supervised release. Judge Subramanian cited the need for deterrence and "irreparable harm" caused to his victims, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who gave harrowing testimony during the trial.
50 Cent has relentlessly trolled Diddy throughout the legal process. After the sentencing, he mocked Diddy's failed attempt to book a speaking engagement, and prior to the hearing, he penned a public "letter to the judge" urging a longer sentence, claiming he had "feared for my life."
The feud shows no signs of abating, with Diddy's camp framing the Netflix series as the latest salvo in a protracted battle. The Reckoning promises exclusive interviews and never-before-seen materials, ensuring the spotlight on one of music's most controversial figures will only intensify.
