Sean Combs: The Reckoning, a four-part docuseries from executive producer 50 Cent, is currently the No. 1 show on Netflix.
The doc, directed by Alexandria Stapleton, has generated a slew of headlines following its debut on the streaming platform this week, all while Fif has continued his signature brand of Instagrammery. Netflix, meanwhile, has pushed back against claims from Diddy’s team, who alleged that a portion of the footage used in the doc was done so without authorization.
Below, we get you caught up on what reps for Diddy and Netflix have said in recent days. But first, be sure to check out this piece from Complex’s Shawn Setaro, who was in the courtroom during the Bad Boy Records founder’s trial, which notably ended with a split verdict.
Diddy spokesperson calls Netflix doc “a shameful hit piece”
In a statement shared with Complex and other media outlets on Dec. 1, one day before The Reckoning hit Netflix, a spokesperson for the mogul, currently serving out his sentence at Fort Dix in New Jersey, slammed the then-forthcoming doc as “a shameful hit piece.” The spokesperson also zeroed in on the involvement of 50 Cent.
“Netflix’s so-called ‘documentary’ is a shameful hit piece,” the spokesperson said. “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’s life, without regard for truth, in order to capitalize on a never-ending media frenzy. 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 continued: “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 affront. At minimum, he expected fairness from people he respected.”
Diddy spokesperson calls Netflix doc “a one-sided narrative”
When reached for comment by Complex on specific allegations made in the doc, a spokesperson for Diddy declined to comment. However, the rep did reiterate its criticism of the doc in a statement shared with us on Dec. 2.
“We’re not going to comment on individual claims being repeated in the documentary,” the spokesperson said. “Many of the people featured have longstanding personal grievances, financial motives, or credibility issues that have been documented for years. Several of these stories have already been addressed in court filings, and others were never raised in any legal forum because they’re simply not true. The project was built around a one-sided narrative led by a publicly admitted adversary, and it repeats allegations without context, evidence, or verification.
Per the rep, Diddy “will continue to address legitimate matters through the legal process, not through a biased Netflix production.”
Netflix spokesperson responds to “false” claims
In response to a cease-and-desist letter, available in full here via Deadline, a Netflix spokesperson defended Stapleton’s doc against the claims made by Diddy’s reps. Specifically, the rep pushed back against claims of using unauthorized footage, and denied that documentary participants had been paid.
“The claims being made about Sean Combs: The Reckoning are false,” a Netflix spokesperson told Complex on Dec. 3. “The project has no ties to any past conversations between Sean Combs and Netflix. The footage of Combs leading up to his indictment and arrest were legally obtained. This is not a hit piece or an act of retribution. Curtis Jackson is an executive producer but does not have creative control. No one was paid to participate."