Sean “Diddy” Combs called out 50 Cent, Netflix and the streamer’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos over their upcoming “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” docuseries, saying it was a “shameful hit piece” and that it was “fundamentally unfair and illegal.”
“Netflix’s so-called ‘documentary’ is a shameful hit piece,” a spokesperson for Combs said in a statement to media. “Today’s ‘GMA’ teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorized for release. As Netflix and CEO Ted Sarandos know, Mr. Combs has been amassing footage since he was 19 to tell his own story, in his own way. It is fundamentally unfair, and illegal, for Netflix to misappropriate that work.”
“Netflix is plainly desperate to sensationalize every minute of Mr. Combs’ life, without regard for truth, in order to capitalize on a never-ending media frenzy,” the statement continued. “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. No rights in that material were ever transferred to Netflix or any third party.”
The spokesperson concluded: “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. Beyond the legal issues, this is a personal breach of trust. Mr. Combs has long respected Ted Sarandos and admired the legacy of Clarence Avant. For Netflix to give his life story to someone who has publicly attacked him for decades feels like an unnecessary and deeply personal.”
Directed by Alexandria Stapleton and executive produced by Jackson, “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” explores the early beginnings of the Combs’ prolific career all the way through his conviction in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The documentary arrives just two months after Combs was sentenced to serve 50 months in prison. He is currently scheduled to be released from detainment on June 4, 2028.
In the first trailer for “The Reckoning,” Combs is shown calling someone in his inner circle, pleading to find “somebody that’ll work with us that has dealt in the dirtiest of dirty business” — just six days before his arrest in September 2024. “We’re losing,” he notes in the same clip.
You can check out the trailer, below.
The four-part docuseries promises to show viewers never-before-seen footage of Diddy’s career and crimes, as well as interviews with former members of the entertainer’s inner circle. In a statement released in conjunction with the documentary’s announcement, Stapleton said “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” is an exploration of celebrity and the dangers of blind idolization.
“This isn’t just about the story of Sean Combs or the story of Cassie, or the story of any of the victims, or the allegations against him, or the trial. Ultimately, this story is a mirror [reflecting us] as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal,” the director said. “I hope [this documentary] is a wake-up call for how we idolize people, and to understand that everybody is a human being.”
“Sean Combs: The Reckoning” premieres Tuesday, Dec. 2 on Netflix.
