Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denounces Netflix series 50 Cent as ‘shameless hit piece’ | Sean “Diddy” Combs

Sean “Diddy” Combs has run into trouble with a dramatic new Netflix docu-series about his life and many legal troubles, produced by his longtime rival 50 Cent.

The former Bad Boy Records executive and hip-hop star, who is currently serving a four-year prison sentence on prostitution charges, has slammed Sean Combs: The Reckoning as a “disgraceful hit piece” and accused Netflix of incorporating stolen footage.

The four-part series, which premieres on Netflix on December 2, aims to provide “a stunning examination of the media mogul, music legend and convicted felon,” including never-before-seen footage of Combs and his inner circle. A new teaser released Monday includes a clip of Combs from Sept. 10, 2024, as his federal sex crimes case was coming to a close.

“We are losing,” he says in a hotel room, mobile phone in hand, before inviting “someone who will work with us and who has dealt in the dirtiest of dirty jobs.”

Through a spokesman, the now-disgraced music mogul claims the footage, including “private moments, pre-arraignment material from an unfinished project and conversations involving legal strategy,” was obtained illegally.

“Today’s GMA teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never cleared for release,” the statement read. “As Netflix and CEO Ted Sarandos know, Mr. Combs has been collecting footage since he was 19 to tell his story in his own way. It is unfair and fundamentally illegal for Netflix to misappropriate this work.

“None of this was obtained from Sean Combs or his team, and its inclusion raises very serious questions about how this material was accessed and why Netflix chose to use it,” the statement added, claiming that Combs’ legal team had been in contact with Netflix.

Combs’ response, in which he blames the series on 50 Cent’s “personal vendetta” against him, comes hours after 50 Cent promoted the series on Good Morning America with director Alexandria Stapleton. They did not discuss how they obtained the footage, though Stapleton confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that “the footage was obtained completely legally.”

When asked if his involvement in the series stemmed from a long-standing, if previously low-stakes, personal rivalry — 50 Cent released a song mocking Combs in 2006 — the rapper demurred.

“It’s not personal,” he said, offering a more noble intention: “If I don’t say anything, maybe the world will think ‘hip-hop is okay with his behavior.’ “There’s no one else speaking out loud.”

In a statement announcing the series, Stapleton said the project offers a “mirror.” [reflecting us] As an audience, and what we say when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal. hope [this documentary] It is a wake-up call to how people are deified, and to understand that every person is human.

After a frenetic federal trial over the summer that included emotional testimony from Combs’ ex, Cassie, detailing years of abuse, Combs was found guilty of two lesser counts of transportation for prostitution, flying his girlfriends and male sex workers across the country to engage in drug-fueled sexual encounters. He was acquitted of sex trafficking and extortion charges that could have resulted in a life sentence.

Combs was sentenced to four years and two months in prison in October. He is serving his sentence in New Jersey, and is scheduled for release in May 2028, although he can receive sentence reductions through his participation in substance abuse treatment and other prison programs. However, his legal troubles continue: Just last month, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced that it was investigating a new sexual battery allegation against him, involving a sexual assault incident from 2020.