Hours Before Release, Diddy Sends Cease-And-Desist Over Netflix’s Newest Documentary ‘Sean Combs: The Reckoning’- Accusing 50 Cent Of Using Stolen Clips

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By Erin Whitten

Updated 1 minute ago, December 2, 2025

Sean “Diddy” Combs is once again embroiled in controversy following today’s release of Netflix’s new four-part docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning. The new project, which is executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and directed by Alexandra Stapleton, revisits allegations against the music mogul and examines the decades-long legal cases that formed around him and his brand. The premiere was muddied by a strongly-worded legal complaint issued by Combs’ representatives, who sent a cease-and-desist letter to Netflix less than a day before the series’ launch.

Netflix’s new series reportedly includes footage that was “stolen,” according to Combs’ attorneys, and which the rapper’s team has never authorized for release. Combs’ spokesperson Juda Engelmayer stated that the material featured in the Netflix trailer was filmed six days before the rapper’s September 2024 arrest, and was in fact intended for Combs’ own long-running personal documentary, which he has been shooting since the age of nineteen. Combs’ representatives also took issue with the fact that Netflix and 50 Cent apparently “misappropriated” the project, and that Combs or his attorneys were not given a screener ahead of time.

Netflix has categorically denied all the claims made by Combs’ legal team. The streaming service shared a statement on the matter through director Alexandra Stapleton, saying the film team had “verifiable proof that all of the footage presented in the film was obtained legally, and all rights are in place for the use of the footage in the film.” Stapleton also said the team “moved heaven and earth” to ensure the anonymity of the individual who provided the material, and that the fact Combs has been filming himself “obsessively” for decades means that footage of him and his life are “not only voluminous, they are ubiquitous.” Stapleton also said the filmmakers “made numerous attempts” to contact Combs’ legal team ahead of the docuseries’ release in order to “conduct interviews and get comment for use in the film” but were not answered.

This only adds a further layer of tension given that 50 Cent, who has been a long-running public enemy of Combs, was involved in the project. Combs’ team specifically slammed Netflix for enlisting “one of Diddy’s longtime adversaries with a personal vendetta,” which they argue “calls into question the legitimacy of the docuseries.” The cease-and-desist letter explicitly notes that Combs “will not shy away from aggressively litigating this matter, if necessary,” and that he has sued media companies in the past, including filing a $100 million defamation lawsuit against NBCUniversal in February over the same subject matter.

Sean Combs: The Reckoning bills itself as an exploration of Combs’ fame and influence and “investigates the allegations that have followed him through every stage of his career.” The series features “exclusive interviews, never-before-seen footage, and commentary from friends and associates,” and arrives during a tumultuous period for Combs, who is currently serving a four-year federal prison sentence for convictions of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs was acquitted on more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering in July, but also faces multiple civil cases, many from those who have accused him of sexual abuse.