Diddy Unleashes Fury Over Netflix's Surprise Docuseries ‘Sean Combs: The Reckoning,’ Labels It a ‘Shameful Hit Piece’ Fueled by 50 Cent’s Vendetta

 

New York, NY – December 2, 2025 – Sean “Diddy” Combs has launched a scathing attack on Netflix following the streaming giant’s unannounced release of the four-part docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning, calling it a “shameful hit piece engineered by his longtime rival Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Currently serving a 50-month federal prison sentence, Combs broke his silence through his legal team, accusing Netflix of illegally using private footage and handing creative control to a sworn enemy with a decades-long personal vendetta.

The series, directed by Alexandria Stapleton and executive-produced by 50 Cent, dropped without warning at 3 a.m. ET today and immediately rocketed to the top of Netflix’s global charts. It chronicles Combs’ journey from Harlem hustler to Bad Boy Records founder and billionaire entrepreneur, while laying bare the avalanche of sexual assault allegations, civil lawsuits, and the federal sex-trafficking trial that ended with his conviction earlier this year.

At the center of Combs’ rage is never-before-seen footage shot in the frantic six days between the issuance of his arrest warrant and his detention in September 2024. Shot by a videographer embedded with Combs’ own team, the raw material shows the mogul pacing hotel suites, barking orders into his phone, and venting about the collapsing walls around him. One widely circulated clip captures him telling an advisor, “We need to find someone who will work with us who has worked in the dirtiest of dirty businesses. We are losing.” Another lighter moment shows him returning from a Harlem walkabout, demanding hand sanitizer and joking, “I been out in the streets amongst the people, I gotta take a bath.”

Combs’ spokesperson Juda Engelmayer blasted the inclusion of the footage as outright theft, stating it was part of a private archive Combs has maintained since he was 19 years old with the intention of one day telling his own story on his own terms. A cease-and-desist letter was fired off to Netflix on Monday demanding the immediate removal of the entire series. Engelmayer also took direct aim at Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, pointing out that Sarandos’ late father-in-law, legendary music executive Clarence Avant, had been a close mentor and friend to Combs for decades.

The bad blood between Combs and 50 Cent dates back to the early 2000s and has played out in diss records, Instagram taunts, and public spats over everything from business deals to personal betrayals. Since Combs’ legal troubles exploded in late 2023, 50 Cent has been relentless, regularly mocking him online and announcing competing documentary projects. In promotional interviews for The Reckoning, 50 Cent insisted the series is not revenge but “real storytelling,” claiming the leaked footage simply reveals Combs’ true character in unscripted moments.

Netflix has pushed back firmly, asserting that the production team obtained the material legally and possesses all necessary rights. A spokesperson declined to identify the source of the footage, citing source protection.

The docuseries also features interviews with former Bad Boy artists Aubrey O’Day and Mark Curry, two jurors from Combs’ federal trial, and a parade of industry insiders who paint a portrait of a man whose dazzling public image masked years of alleged coercion, abuse, and control. Trailers lean heavily into the stark contrast between Combs’ champagne-soaked empire and the “freak-off” parties that became central to the prosecution’s case.

Reaction online has been ferocious and polarized. Many viewers praised the series for its unflinching approach and unprecedented access, with some calling it the definitive account of Combs’ downfall. Others accused it of sensationalism and bias, arguing that 50 Cent’s involvement taints any claim to objectivity. Memes of 50 Cent as the “final boss of haters” spread rapidly, while defenders of Combs decried the project as yet another cash-grab built on a Black icon’s destruction.

For context, Combs’ legal spiral began in November 2023 when his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura filed (and quickly settled) a lawsuit alleging rape and years of physical abuse. Dozens more civil suits followed, culminating in a federal indictment on racketeering and sex-trafficking charges. Though acquitted on the most serious counts, he was convicted on two lesser prostitution-related charges and sentenced in October 2025.

With his once-billion-dollar empire in tatters, multiple appeals pending, and new civil trials looming, Combs now faces the added indignity of watching his private meltdown play out for millions of subscribers. His team has made clear they are prepared to sue Netflix just as aggressively as they have sued NBCUniversal, Investigation Discovery, and others over previous documentaries.

Whether Sean Combs: The Reckoning stands as fearless journalism or a glorified revenge project will be debated for years. What is certain is that 50 Cent has delivered the most devastating blow yet in a feud that shows no sign of dying—and for the first time, Diddy is the one without a microphone in his hand.