Sean "Diddy" Combs has launched a fierce attack on Netflix and his long-time rival, rapper 50 Cent, branding a new documentary series about his life a "shameful hit piece" that uses unlawfully obtained footage.
Allegations of Stolen Footage and a Personal Vendetta
The disgraced music mogul, 56, who is currently serving a four-year sentence for prostitution-related charges, issued a statement through his spokesperson on Tuesday 2 December 2025. He alleges that the four-part series, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, incorporates stolen material. The footage reportedly includes private moments, pre-indictment material from an unfinished project, and conversations about legal strategy.
"Today's GMA teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorised for release," the statement read. It argued that Combs had been amassing footage since he was 19 to tell his own story and that it was "fundamentally unfair, and illegal" for Netflix to misappropriate it. His legal team has reportedly contacted the streaming giant.
50 Cent and the Documentary's Defence
Combs blamed the series on a "personal vendetta" by 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III. 50 Cent serves as an executive producer on the series and promoted it on Good Morning America alongside director Alexandria Stapleton just hours before Combs's statement was released.
However, 50 Cent rebuffed the claim that the project was personal, stemming from a 2006 diss track aimed at Combs. "It's not personal," he said, adding that if he didn't speak out, the world might think "hip-hop is fine with his behaviours". Director Stapleton told The Hollywood Reporter that "the footage was obtained completely legally" and that the goal was to storytell, not just focus on salacious allegations.
The Fallout from a High-Profile Trial
The documentary lands months after Combs's dramatic federal trial in New York City. In July, he was found guilty on two counts tied to prostitution but was acquitted on the most serious sex trafficking charges that could have led to life imprisonment. The series promises a "staggering examination" of Combs and will feature two jurors from his trial discussing their mixed verdict for the first time.
A teaser clip released on Monday 1 December shows a stressed Combs in a hotel room in September last year, as his federal sex-crime investigation intensified, stating "We're losing" and calling for someone who has "dealt in the dirtiest of dirty business". Netflix has been contacted for comment regarding Combs's allegations.
