Diddy’s Lawyers Demand Netflix Shelve 50 Cent’s Docuseries on Rap Mogul: ‘Shameful Hit Piece’

Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs have sent Netflix a cease-and-desist letter warning of litigation if the streaming giant follows through with plans to release the 50 Cent-produced docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning.

Set to drop on Tuesday (Dec. 2) on Netflix, the four-part documentary includes never-before-seen footage of Combs in the days leading up to his arrest last September. Combs’ attorney, Michael Tremonte, says in a Monday (Dec. 1) demand letter that the footage was recorded by the rap mogul’s employees and then “illicitly disclosed” to Netflix later on.

According to Tremonte, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos first approached Combs about making a documentary back in 2023, but Combs rejected the idea when it became clear he wouldn’t have creative control. Netflix wanted to “punish Mr. Combs for refusing to play by its rules,” Tremonte says — so the company gave the producing gig and allegedly stolen footage to his longtime rival, 50 (Curtis Jackson).

“The evidence of Mr. Jackson’s vicious animus against Mr. Combs is overwhelming. He has been trolling Mr. Combs on the internet and social media for years and has made a career of attempting to defame, belittle and provoke Mr. Combs and turn the public against him,” reads the cease-and-desist letter. “Simply put, there is no one less able to view any aspect of Mr. Combs’s life and legacy through a fair and objective lens.”

Tremonte’s letter also complains about interview subjects being offered “problematic financial incentives” to speak negatively about Combs in the documentary. It warns that Combs may sue Netflix for copyright infringement or possession of stolen property if the series is released as planned.

“As you are undoubtedly aware, Mr. Combs has not hesitated to take legal action against media entities and others who violate his rights, and he will not hesitate to do so against Netflix,” writes Tremonte.

In a statement accompanying the letter, a spokesperson for Combs called the docuseries a “shameful hit piece” and slammed Netflix for “ripping private footage out of context — including conversations with his lawyers that were never intended for public viewing.”

Reps for Netflix and 50 did not immediately return requests for comment on Monday.

Combs’ legacy has been overtaken in recent years by numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse. The onetime music mogul is currently serving a federal prison sentence for arranging drug-fueled sex marathons between his girlfriends and male escorts, though he was acquitted of more serious racketeering and sex-trafficking charges at a blockbuster trial this summer.