Key Takeaways
- Sean Combs: The Reckoning has stirred controversy over undisclosed video clips and a cease-and-desist order.
- 50 Cent remarked, “I would doubt he knows,” when asked if Diddy was aware the footage would appear in the documentary.
- Director Alexandria Stapleton insists the material was acquired legally, while Combs condemns the film as a “hit piece.”
The newly released Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning has become a major topic of conversation since its debut on December 2, 2025. All four episodes dropped simultaneously, arriving nearly two years after Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson first announced on December 7, 2023, that he was developing the project. Directed by Alexandria Stapleton, the series has drawn widespread attention—not only for its revelations but also for a cease-and-desist letter sent to Netflix over unexpected footage included in the film. The biggest question from viewers has been how those sensitive clips surfaced, and 50 Cent has now addressed the matter directly.
50 Cent on the Secret Footage: “I Doubt He Knows”
The clips that spread rapidly online were filmed in September 2024, according to NBC News. They appear to show Combs in a hotel room discussing his mounting legal troubles. In the footage, Diddy delivers several pointed remarks, including his belief that he was “losing.”
“We need someone willing to operate in the dirtiest of dirty business,” he says at one point.
“We’re losing,” he adds.
The recording reportedly occurred just six days before federal agents arrested Combs at a hotel in New York City. He was initially charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transporting individuals for purposes of prostitution. While a jury later acquitted him of the racketeering and sex-trafficking charges, he was convicted on two lesser counts involving transportation to engage in prostitution, NBC News reported.
During a pre-release interview for the documentary, NBC News correspondent Chloe Melas pressed Jackson on how he obtained the unreleased hotel room footage. Jackson responded by noting that most journalists protect their sources. When asked whether Combs knew the footage would be included, he admitted, “I would doubt he knows.”
Melas then questioned whether Diddy and his legal team would only become aware of the clips once the series premiered. Stapleton replied simply: “Perhaps.”
Diddy and the Director Respond
In a statement reported by Deadline, Combs blasted the documentary, calling it “a shameful hit piece.” He accused 50 Cent—described as a “longtime adversary with a personal vendetta”—of being behind the effort.
“Today’s GMA teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorized for release,” Combs’ statement read.
He claimed that Netflix and CEO Ted Sarandos were fully aware that he had been documenting his own life for decades and argued that using this material without consent was both unfair and unlawful.
Netflix countered with comments from Stapleton, shared days before the series premiered. She insisted the team secured the footage properly:
“It came to us, we obtained the footage legally, and we possess the necessary rights,” she explained in an interview on Netflix’s website. “We worked tirelessly to protect the filmmaker’s identity. Sean Combs has filmed himself obsessively throughout his career. We also repeatedly contacted his legal team requesting interviews and comments, but never received a response.”
Despite the cease-and-desist letter, Netflix proceeded with the planned release, and the documentary is now available for streaming.
