Washington: Music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has strongly criticized Netflix’s upcoming documentary series ‘Sean Combs: The Reckoning’, calling it a “shameful hit piece” that is “built on stolen footage that was never authorized for release”, a spokesperson for the artist said, as reported by Variety.
The statement was released a day before the documentary launched globally on Netflix. In a newly released teaser for the show, Combs is seen on a phone call, which was reportedly recorded six days before his 2024 arrest. The call later became part of a wider set of legal proceedings in which she was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution. However, he was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
According to footage included in the teaser, Combs can be heard saying, “We have to find someone to work with us who has worked in the dirtiest businesses. We’re losing.”
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When contacted for comment on the allegations of stolen footage, a representative for Netflix directed Variety to a quote from documentary director Alexandria Stapleton. “It came to us, we obtained the footage legally and we have the necessary rights,” he said. Variety is quoted as saying, “We went to great lengths to keep the filmmaker’s identity confidential. One thing about Sean Combs is that he has always made films by himself, and it has been a passion for decades. We also reached out to Sean Combs’s legal team multiple times for an interview and comment, but did not hear back.”
Combs’ spokesperson argued that the footage was taken out of context and was part of an extensive archive that the artist has preserved since the age of 19 to fabricate his story.
Combs’ representative said that Combs “has been collecting footage since he was 19 to tell his story, his way,” but that Netflix is ​​using his words out of context. The statement also mentions Ted Sarandos by name several times, saying Combs has “long respected” the Netflix CEO and that he “expects fairness from people he respects.” Additionally, the representative wrote that 50 Cent is “a longtime adversary with a personal vendetta who has spent an inordinate amount of time condemning Mr. Combs” and that it was “shocking that Netflix handed him creative control”.
According to Variety, 50 Cent’s highly anticipated docu-series ‘Sean Combs: The Reckoning’ about Sean “Diddy” Combs will premiere on December 2.
According to the official synopsis, the series is “a startling examination of the media mogul, music mogul and convicted criminal. Born with an insatiable desire for stardom and a knack for spotting talent, Combs rapidly progressed through the ranks of the music industry with Bad Boy Entertainment and played a pivotal role in bringing hip-hop to the pop masses and launching the careers of dozens of generation-defining artists like Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Jodeci and Danity. Played. Ken.”
The synopsis reads, “But along the way, and as detailed by his former colleagues, childhood friends, cast members and staff, something darker begins to color his ambitions. According to Variety, through explosive, never-before-seen material, including exclusive interviews with people formerly in his orbit, this documentary tells the story of a powerful, entrepreneurial man and the gold empire he built – and the underworld. Which is just below its surface.”