A clash between two of hip hop's most contentious figures has escalated into a legal and public-relations battle, as Sean "Diddy" Combs moves to block Netflix's upcoming docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning, produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. The series-set for global release on December 2-features previously unseen footage recorded shortly before Combs' 2024 arrest and has drawn fierce condemnation from the disgraced music mogul's representatives. Within the first 100 words: Netflix, Sean Combs, 50 Cent, Alex Stapleton, Good Morning America, Hollywood Reporter.
Combs' team denounced the production as both unlawful and biased, arguing Netflix is exploiting decades of personal footage to shape a narrative he never approved. After Good Morning America aired a preview including interviews with 50 Cent and director Alex Stapleton, Combs' spokesperson Juda Engelmayer issued a statement calling the project "unfair" and "illegal," intensifying the public fight just 24 hours before the series' premiere.
"Netflix's so-called 'documentary' is a shameful hit piece. Today's GMA teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorised for release," Engelmayer said, adding, "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."
Combs, sentenced on October 3 to 50 months in prison for sex trafficking by force, racketeering, and transportation for purposes of prostitution, is not scheduled for release until June 2028. His team argues that giving creative authority to Jackson-whom they describe as his "mortal enemy"-undermines the legitimacy of the project.
"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," the statement said.
50 Cent, addressing the criticism in an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts, defended his involvement as a cultural imperative rather than a personal vendetta. "If I didn't say anything, you would interpret it as hip hop is fine with his behaviours," he said. "There's no one else being vocal. So, you would look at it and just say ... 'mind your business,' or 'lemme not say nothin' about nothin',' or those things that would allow an entire culture to register as if they're for that behaviour."
Netflix and the film's director pushed back against allegations of theft, asserting the material was acquired properly. Stapleton told CNN, "It came to us. We obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights. 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. We also reached out to Sean Combs' legal team for an interview and comment multiple times, but did not hear back."
Tensions escalated further when Combs' attorneys issued a cease-and-desist letter warning Netflix and others that the mogul "will not hesitate to file a lawsuit" against any party that violates his rights. They insisted Netflix must halt distribution entirely or face legal action.
Despite the threats and intensifying criticism, Netflix is moving forward with the global rollout of Sean Combs: The Reckoning on December 2, setting up what could become one of the entertainment industry's most closely watched legal battles of 2025.
