Sean 'Diddy' Combs has launched a fierce attack from prison on a new Netflix documentary series about his life and legal battles, branding it a "shameful hit piece" and alleging it uses unlawfully obtained footage.
Legal Claims and Stolen Footage Allegations
The disgraced music executive, currently serving a four-year sentence for prostitution-related charges, issued a statement through a spokesperson condemning Sean Combs: The Reckoning. The four-part series, executive produced by his long-time rival 50 Cent, is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on 2 December 2024.
Combs's team claims the documentary incorporates stolen material, including private moments, pre-indictment footage from an unfinished project, and conversations about legal strategy. "Today's GMA teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorized for release," the statement asserted. It further accused Netflix and CEO Ted Sarandos of misappropriating work Combs had been amassing since he was 19 to tell his own story.
"None of this was obtained from Sean Combs or his team, and its inclusion raises very serious questions about how this material was accessed and why Netflix chose to use it," the statement added, noting that his legal team had been in contact with the streaming giant.
50 Cent's 'Personal Vendetta' and Series Promo
Combs attributed the series to 50 Cent's "personal vendetta" against him. The rivalry dates back years, notably including a diss track from 50 Cent aimed at Combs in 2006.
The allegations emerged just hours after 50 Cent and the series director, Alexandria Stapleton, promoted the documentary on Good Morning America. A newly released teaser includes a clip from 10 September 2024, showing a beleaguered Combs in a hotel room stating, "We're losing," and seeking help from someone experienced in "the dirtiest of dirty business."
When questioned about his motivations, 50 Cent denied the project was personal. "If I didn't say anything," he remarked, the world might have thought "hip-hop is fine with his behaviors. There's no one else being vocal." Director Stapleton told the Hollywood Reporter that "the footage was obtained completely legally" and described the series as a mirror to the public's idolisation of celebrities.
Ongoing Legal Troubles and Current Sentence
This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of Combs's severe legal downfall. Following a federal trial in the summer of 2024 featuring emotional testimony from his ex-partner Cassie, Combs was convicted on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of more severe sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have resulted in a life sentence.
In October 2024, he was sentenced to four years and two months in prison. He is currently serving his sentence in New Jersey and is scheduled for release in May 2028, though he may reduce his time through prison programmes.
His legal woes are far from over. Just last month, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced a new investigation into a sexual battery allegation against him from 2020, involving an incident of exposure and sexual harassment.
