The long-running and deeply personal feud between hip-hop titans 50 Cent and Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been thrust back into the spotlight with the release of a damning Netflix documentary series. The four-part series, titled 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning', debuted on 2 December 2025 and is co-produced by 50 Cent himself, marking a significant escalation in their decades-old rivalry.
The Origins of a Hip-Hop Rivalry
The roots of the conflict stretch back to 2006. The initial fallout reportedly centred on rapper Mase, who wished to leave his contract with Diddy's Bad Boy Records to sign with 50 Cent, leading to a financial disagreement. The same year, 50 Cent, real name Curtis James Jackson III, made a shocking allegation in his song 'The Bomb', accusing Combs of involvement in the 1997 murder of The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher George Latore Wallace).
Diddy, who was travelling in a separate vehicle in the convoy when Biggie was gunned down in Los Angeles, has always vehemently denied any involvement in the killing. The track's lyrics took a pointed jab at Combs' lavish lifestyle, with 50 Cent rapping: 'I guess this means I won’t be invited to the white parties in the Hamptons.' Further suggestions linking Combs to the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur have also swirled, claims which Combs has dismissed as 'nonsense'.
A Public War of Words and Insults
Over the following years, the feud played out publicly through social media and interviews. The pair traded barbs over their competing vodka brands—Diddy's Ciroc and 50 Cent's Effen. In one Instagram post, Jackson wrote: 'I’m different, I don’t respect suckers. Puff reaching out to talk, and got his people hating at the same time. #EFFENVODKA we don’t drink #nopuffyjuice over here.'
In 2018, 50 Cent suggested Diddy was homosexual during an appearance on The Breakfast Club radio show, criticising his manner of speaking as 'fruity'. Combs later responded on the same show, attempting to downplay the tension: 'I don’t have no beef with Fif. He loves me. Y’all can’t see that he loves me? You really think that’s hate?'
A brief truce appeared possible following the death of Kim Porter, the mother of three of Combs' children, later in 2018, when Jackson offered condolences. However, the rift widened dramatically in 2023 after details emerged from a lawsuit filed by Combs' former partner, Cassie Ventura. 50 Cent commented extensively on the case online, and in 2024, announced his collaboration on the documentary with director Alexandria Stapleton.
Diddy's Legal Reckoning and the Documentary Fallout
The documentary's release comes in the wake of Sean Combs' dramatic legal downfall. The 56-year-old music mogul was sentenced to four years and two months in prison at the low-security Fort Dix facility in New Jersey, following a trial where he was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was convicted on two counts of transportation for prostitution and also received a $500,000 fine.
Netflix states the 'explosive' docuseries features private footage from the days before Combs' arrest, including phone calls with his lawyers. It examines the allegations of violence and threats from multiple lawsuits, including those from Cassie Ventura, and revisits the historic rumours surrounding the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.
Combs' legal team has launched a fierce attack on the series, calling it 'shameful' and 'illegal'. In a statement, they accused Netflix of sensationalism and of using private footage without rights. They specifically highlighted 50 Cent's involvement as 'an unnecessary and deeply personal affront'.
In a joint statement to The Independent in 2024, 50 Cent and director Stapleton defended the project, saying: 'This is a story with significant human impact... We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives.' They added that they aimed to ensure Combs' actions did not overshadow hip-hop culture's broader contributions.
The release of 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning' on 2 December 2025 represents the latest and most cinematic chapter in a bitter rivalry that has defined two careers and now scrutinises one man's dramatic fall from grace.
