Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team has renewed its criticism of Netflix after the release of a four-part documentary that they say uses private recordings that were never meant to be aired.
The series, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, started streaming on Tuesday and has been promoted as an intense look at his life, career and the case that saw him convicted on prostitution-related charges this year. Combs’ side maintains that the project is unfair, unlawful and shaped by a long-time rival.
The documentary includes footage taken just before Combs’ September 2024 arrest, including moments of him speaking to his lawyers on the phone.
Netflix described the material as “explosive”, but his lawyers insist the recordings were obtained without proper authority.
They say the project was designed to paint an extreme picture of Combs while ignoring the context of his legal battles.
Combs’ spokesman issued a strong statement accusing Netflix of using stolen work and giving the project’s direction to someone who has openly criticised Combs for decades.
He said it was “a shameful hit piece” and argued that the producers wanted to “sensationalise every minute of Mr Combs’s life, without regard for truth, in order to capitalise on a never-ending media frenzy.” He added that it was “staggering” that creative power was handed to 50 Cent, whom he called “a longtime adversary with a personal vendetta”.
The statement went further, saying: “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.” It continued: “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.”
Early in the documentary, viewers see Combs in a hotel room days before he was taken in by authorities, speaking with attorney Marc Agnifilo and pushing for a stronger public strategy.
During the call, he said: “We have to find somebody that'll work with us. It has to be somebody that has dealt in the dirtiest of dirtiest of dirty business of [the] media and propaganda.” Another clip shows him speaking with his son Justin, telling him: “God told me to do nothing... [but] other people need to do something 'cause this is ridiculous.”
Combs’ spokesman said nothing in the footage had ever been cleared 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,” he said.
Netflix has not issued a new reply but pointed reporters to the comments already given by director Alexandria Stapleton, who said, “It came to us, we obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights.”
She also noted that they “moved heaven and earth to keep the film-maker's identity confidential.” The series is led by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as an executive producer, a figure who has openly clashed with Combs for about 20 years. Jackson defended his involvement, saying on Good Morning America: “If I didn't say anything, you would interpret it as that hip-hop is fine with his behaviours. There's no-one else being vocal.”
The documentary also digs into long-standing accusations surrounding Combs, including claims that link him to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur.
In the programme, police interview tapes show former gang member Duane “Keffe D” Davis saying Combs offered him $1m for the attack. Davis, who faces trial in 2026, now says the statements he gave were made under pressure.
Another figure featured in the film, Kirk Burrowes, who co-founded Bad Boy Entertainment, claims he thinks Combs “had a lot to do with the death of Tupac.” Combs has repeatedly said he had no part in the killing.
The documentary also includes various claims of abuse and threats that have appeared in past lawsuits, such as allegations made by former partner Cassie, whose case ended in a settlement. Combs has in the past dismissed those claims as “sickening” and “full of lies”.
His lawyers have said that “anyone can file a lawsuit” and added that “No matter how many lawsuits are filed it won't change the fact that Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.”
The film also features two jurors who served in his recent trial. In July, Combs was found guilty on two charges related to transportation to engage in prostitution, while being cleared of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges involving two former partners. He is currently serving a 50-month sentence and says he intends to appeal.
