Diddy Slams Netflix Documentary as ‘Shameful’ and ‘Illegal’, Accuses 50 Cent of Personal Vendetta

Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs have condemned a new Netflix documentary about the embattled music mogul, calling it a “shameful hit piece” built on “stolen footage” and driven by a long-running feud with executive producer 50 Cent.

The four-part series, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, premiered Tuesday and is described by Netflix as an in-depth examination of Combs’ life and career, including his conviction earlier this year on prostitution-related charges. The documentary features what the platform calls “explosive” footage captured in the days before his September 2024 arrest, material Combs’ team insists was private and never authorised for release.

Combs’ spokesman said the use of the footage, including a recorded phone call between Combs and his attorney, was “fundamentally unfair and illegal,” adding that the artist has been documenting his life since age 19 for a project of his own.

“It is staggering that Netflix would hand creative control to 50 Cent, a longtime adversary with a personal vendetta,” the spokesman said. “Netflix is plainly desperate to sensationalise every minute of Mr Combs’ life, without regard for truth.”

He added that no rights to the material were ever transferred to Netflix or any third party, and criticised the platform for “ripping private footage out of context.”

The documentary opens with video of Combs in a hotel room six days before his arrest, speaking by phone with attorney Marc Agnifilo and urging a more aggressive media strategy to defend his innocence. Another clip shows him telling his son Justin that “other people need to do something” about what he described as a “ridiculous” situation.

Responding to the criticism, director Alexandria Stapleton said the production team “obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights,” noting efforts to protect the identity of the filmmaker who provided it. Netflix has not issued a separate public comment.

The series is executive-produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, whose feud with Combs spans two decades. Speaking to Good Morning America on Monday, Jackson said remaining silent would imply that “hip-hop is fine with Combs’ behaviours.”

Sean Combs: The Reckoning revisits Combs’ rise as a dominant force in hip-hop while resurfacing long-standing allegations, many detailed in lawsuits filed over the years, including claims of abuse from former girlfriend Cassie, which ended in a settlement. Combs has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them “sickening” and “full of lies.”

The documentary also features claims about Combs’ alleged involvement in the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, including comments from Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who told police years ago that Combs offered him $1 million to carry out the hit. Davis, who faces trial for Shakur’s killing in 2026, now says he made those statements under duress.

Two jurors from Combs’ recent federal trial also appear in the series. In July, he was convicted on two charges related to transportation for prostitution but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He is currently serving a 50-month sentence and plans to appeal.