The release of the Netflix documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning is being met with fierce legal resistance from Sean “Diddy” Combs himself, who accuses the streaming service and its executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson of using stolen and unauthorized footage in what he calls a “shameful hit piece.” The four-part series, which began streaming on December 2, 2025, examines the mogul’s career and his recent criminal conviction. Hours before its debut, Combs’s legal team sent a cease-and-desist letter to Netflix, demanding the series not be released and threatening further legal action for what they claim is the illegal use of private video . The documentary’s director, Alexandria Stapleton, and 50 Cent maintain all material was obtained legally .
Diddy’s Team Claims Netflix Used “Stolen” Pre-Arrest Footage
A spokesperson for Sean Combs issued a lengthy statement on December 1, 2025, directly challenging the legitimacy of the documentary’s content. The core accusation is that Netflix used “stolen footage that was never authorized for release” . The footage in question shows Combs in a hotel room in the tense days leading up to his September 2024 arrest on federal charges .
In a clip shown on Good Morning America, Combs is heard on a phone call saying, “We need to find someone who will work with us who has worked in the dirtiest of dirty business. We are losing” . His representatives argue this video, along with other private moments and discussions with his lawyers, was part of a personal archive Combs has been building since he was 19 years old for his own documentary project .
“Netflix’s so-called ‘documentary’ is a shameful hit piece,” said the statement from Combs’s spokesperson. “It is fundamentally unfair, and illegal, for Netflix to misappropriate that work… No rights in that material were ever transferred to Netflix or any third party” .
The statement also calls the involvement of 50 Cent a “personal breach of trust,” labeling him a “longtime adversary with a personal vendetta” . Combs’s lawyers followed the public statement with a formal cease-and-desist letter to Netflix .
Director and 50 Cent Defend Their Legal Right to the Material
In response to the allegations, the creative team behind Sean Combs: The Reckoning has firmly stood by their work. Director Alexandria Stapleton directly addressed the claim that the footage was stolen.
“It came to us, we obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights,” Stapleton stated. “We moved heaven and earth to keep the filmmaker’s identity confidential. One thing about Sean Combs is that he’s always filming himself, and it’s been an obsession throughout the decades” .
Stapleton also noted that her team reached out to Combs’s legal team for an interview and comment multiple times but did not receive a response . When asked by The Hollywood Reporter about how the sensitive pre-arrest footage was acquired, 50 Cent responded, “Why would you ask us to reveal our sources?” while Stapleton reiterated, “The footage was obtained completely legally” .
For his part, 50 Cent explained his motivation for executive producing the series, distancing it from personal rivalry. “If I didn’t say anything, you would interpret it as hip-hop is fine with his behaviors,” he said on Good Morning America. “There’s no one else being vocal” .
What the Documentary Series Covers
Sean Combs: The Reckoning is a four-episode series that chronicles the rise and fall of the Bad Boy Records founder. It traces his journey from a young intern at Uptown Records to building a hip-hop empire with artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Jodeci . The series also examines the darker allegations that have emerged over decades, culminating in his 2024 federal trial .
The documentary features interviews with numerous people from Combs’s past, including Bad Boy co-founder Kirk Burrowes, former assistant Capricorn Clark, and artists like Aubrey O’Day of Danity Kane and Mark Curry . It also includes perspectives from two jurors who served on his recent criminal trial .
A central theme of the project is a critique of celebrity culture. Stapleton described the series as a “mirror” for the public. “This isn’t just about the story of Sean Combs… Ultimately, this story is a mirror [reflecting us] as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal” .
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The documentary’s release comes while Sean Combs is serving a 50-month prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey . In July 2025, a jury found him guilty on two counts of transportation for purposes of prostitution but acquitted him of more severe sex trafficking and racketeering charges . He is appealing the conviction .
The public feud between Combs and 50 Cent dates back nearly 20 years. It reportedly began in 2006 when 50 Cent released a diss track accusing Combs of involvement in the murder of The Notorious B.I.G. . Their rivalry continued through the years, often playing out publicly as they promoted competing vodka brands . Combs’s statement specifically cited this history, accusing Netflix of handing creative control to a longtime adversary .
Despite the legal threats from Combs’s camp, Netflix proceeded with the global release of Sean Combs: The Reckoning as planned on December 2, 2025. All four episodes are currently available to stream on the platform .
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Credits: CNN
