Highlights:
- Sean Combs slams documentary calling it a “shameful hit piece”
- Diddy Netflix docuseries uses footage his team says was never cleared
- 50 Cent Diddy documentary accused of being driven by a long-running feud
- Netflix says the footage was obtained legally
- Docuseries launches as Combs serves a 50-month prison sentence
A spokesperson for Sean “Diddy” Combs has slammed 50 Cent’s upcoming Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning, saying it is a “shameful hit piece” and uses “stolen footage that was never authorised for release.” The row has grown louder as the 50 Cent Diddy documentary lands on Netflix with global attention.
Sean Combs blasts 50 Cent Netflix doc as illegal and unfair using stolen footage from his private archives Getty Images/Instagram/50cent
Why Sean Combs slams documentary as a ‘hit piece’
The statement came from prison, where Combs is serving a 50-month sentence linked to transportation for prostitution. His spokesperson called the series “unfair and illegal,” insisting that Netflix relied on footage he never cleared.
The complaint centres on material from his personal archive, recordings he has collected since his teens to shape his own life story. His team said Netflix “ripped private conversations out of context,” including talks with lawyers, which they argue should never have reached a public platform.
There is also frustration with Netflix leadership. His camp said Combs had long respected CEO Ted Sarandos and “expected fairness.” His side claims the streamer is chasing attention at the cost of accuracy.
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How the Diddy Netflix docuseries became a flashpoint
The docuseries features a 56-second clip of Combs in a New York hotel room, filmed six days before his arrest. He is seen on the phone, tense, bouncing his knee.
“We need to find someone who will work with us… We are losing,” he says in the footage.
His team insists the extract is part of a wider archive meant for a future personal project, not a third-party release. Netflix pushed back. Director Alexandria Stapleton said the footage was obtained legally and the team holds full rights. She added that they contacted Combs’ lawyers several times but received no response.
Why 50 Cent’s role triggered a stronger reaction
Another sore point is 50 Cent’s involvement. Their public feud has lasted years, and Combs’ camp sees his creative control as a provocation. The statement described him as a “long-time adversary” with a personal agenda.
50 Cent, speaking separately, said he joined the project because silence would look like acceptance of Combs’ behaviour. He argued that the wider music community needed someone to speak up. This pushed the clash from legal concerns to something closer to a cultural debate.
Sean Combs disputes Netflix documentary and 50 Cent’s control calling it a shameful misrepresentationGetty Images
What comes next for the docuseries
Combs’ lawyers have issued warnings, including a cease-and-desist, and signalled possible action. The streamer, however, released the series on schedule. Sean Combs: The Reckoning is now live on Netflix as a four-part release. Combs remains in federal custody and is due for release in June 2028.
