Diddy calls 50 Cent’s Netflix documentary a “smear campaign” and accuses the streaming service of illegally sourcing material. What’s behind it?
The four-part Netflix documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning”, produced by US rapper 50 Cent, can be seen from December 2nd. The hip-hop star spoke out about it from prison shortly beforehand. He is not amused.
Was the material stolen?
Convicted US rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs recently made allegations against the streaming service Netflix. These refer to a documentary about his life that was produced by his former colleague and long-time rival 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson. Stolen video material was used for the documentation. According to Spiegel, Combs described the documentary as a “shameful smear campaign” in a statement from prison.
50 Cent’s documentary is called “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” and, according to the announcement, will focus on the story of a powerful man and his empire. Above all, the abysses that lie behind it are illuminated. Former companions, childhood friends, employees and artists have their say.
Through a spokesman, the rapper now alleged that video material used in the documentary was obtained illegally and should not be published. These include “private moments, material from an unfinished project before the indictment and discussions about legal strategy,” according to “Spiegel”. On Monday, December 1st, Netflix released a teaser to announce the series. According to Combs and his camp, this confirms that the streaming service “relies on stolen material that was never authorized for publication.”
The dirtiest of dirty deals
The documentary will also show Combs in the days leading up to his sentencing. The previously released teaser featured an explosive scene showing Combs in a hotel room during a phone call. In it he says: “We are losing” and calls for “someone who will work with us and knows the dirtiest of dirty deals.” The hustle and bustle surrounding the former hip-hop mogul is unlikely to diminish even after the publication of the documentary.
Director made a statement
The documentary’s executive director, Alexandria Stapleton, had previously spoken about the video material used. “It came to us, we acquired the material legally and have the necessary rights,” she is quoted as saying in a Netflix statement. She also told “Hollywood Reporter” that the recordings were obtained “completely legally.”
The trial and the punishment
Combs is currently serving his 50-month sentence at Fort Dix Prison in New Jersey. The 56-year-old has been accused in the past of, among other things, sexual abuse, human trafficking and involvement in prostitution. These accusations ended in a trial in 2025 that went viral around the world. The verdict was reached in October 2025: four years and two months in prison for coercing ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another plaintiff into prostitution. The New Yorker was only found guilty on two of five charges.