Netflix has responded to criticism from Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s team after they labeled the platform’s new docuseries a “shameful hit piece”.
A representative for Diddy, who is currently serving a four-year sentence for prostitution-related charges, condemned the four-part series, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, alleging that it contains stolen footage.
They also criticized the production team for giving “creative control” to “a longtime adversary with a personal vendetta”, Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, who served as an executive producer.
In a statement, a Netflix spokesperson rejected the allegations and defended the integrity of the project.
“The project has no ties to any past conversations between Sean Combs and Netflix,” the statement reads. “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.”
The documentary explores the sexual misconduct allegations brought against Combs since late 2023 and includes never-before-seen footage of the artist and members of his inner circle.
Ahead of the series’ Tuesday release, Combs’s representative reiterated claims that the production “relied on stolen footage that was never authorised for release” and argued it was “fundamentally unfair, and illegal, for Netflix to misappropriate” video the musician had collected since age 19.
Director Alexandria Stapleton previously defended the team’s methods, stating that all footage was acquired legally and with proper rights.
“We moved heaven and earth to keep the filmmaker’s identity confidential,” she told Netflix’s Tudum. “One thing about Sean Combs is that he’s always filming himself, and it’s been an obsession throughout the decades.”
Combs has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. While he was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution, he was acquitted of more serious charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
