A new Netflix docuseries, 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning,' produced by 50 Cent, has ignited a fierce battle, with Combs's lawyers calling it a 'shameful hitpiece' using 'stolen footage,' while critics praise its 'grimly necessary' look into the mogul's controversial career and numerous allegations, including sexual assault and even Tupac's death.
The controversial Netflix docuseries 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning,' produced by Combs’s longtime rival Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, has premiered to intense reactions. Combs’s lawyers immediately labeled it a “shameful hitpiece” and accused Netflix of using “stolen footage” and presenting a “one-sided narrative” without context or verification, demanding its withdrawal. Conversely, critics have hailed it as “grimly necessary” and a “relentless” portrait of a “terrifying individual.” The four-episode series chronicles Combs’s rise to fame and details a wide array of allegations, featuring voices from his former inner circle, employees, artists from Bad Boy Records, childhood friends, and individuals who have filed civil lawsuits against him, some alleging sexual assault – all of which Combs denies. This documentary arrives several months after Combs’s conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, for which he is currently serving a 50-month sentence and is appealing. He also faces dozens of civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse. Key segments include interviews with two jurors from Combs’s federal trial, speaking for the first time. Juror 160 acknowledged Combs’s capacity for violence based on a video of him beating Cassie Ventura, but noted domestic violence wasn't a charge. Juror 75 expressed confusion about the “very, very interesting relationship” between Combs and Ventura, citing affectionate texts exchanged after the assault and suggesting Ventura “wanted to be with him” despite the abuse. Further allegations within the series include former assistant Capricorn Clark’s claim that the jury was “starstruck” by Combs, and singer Aubrey O’Day’s assertion that Combs sent her sexually explicit emails and photos, leading her to believe she was fired for not engaging sexually. O’Day also discussed an affidavit suggesting she was sexually assaulted by Combs, stating, “I don’t even know if I was raped.” Additionally, former Bad Boy co-founder Kirk Burrowes suggested Combs’s involvement in Tupac Shakur’s killing due to jealousy and manipulation, an allegation Combs has always denied. The series also features previously unseen footage of Combs from six days before his September 2024 arrest, showing him discussing media strategy and the “dirtiest of dirty business of media and propaganda” with his lawyer, footage which filmmakers claim they obtained legally after Combs’s arrest. Director Alexandria Stapleton stated that Combs’s legal team was contacted for comment multiple times without response. Combs’s spokesperson argued that the footage was private, intended for Combs’s own documentary project, and that Netflix misappropriated it.
