WASHINGTON — Netflix is set to premiere a four-part documentary in collaboration with rapper 50 Cent, exploring the rise and downfall of disgraced hip-hop star Sean “Diddy” Combs.
“Sean Combs: The Reckoning” is set to premiere on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The series, produced by Combs’ longtime rival Curtis Jackson, better known by his stage name 50 Cent, arrives months after the rapper-producer’s conviction on federal prostitution charges, which resulted in a 50-month prison sentence.
The documentary will be in four parts, which will be available to stream on Tuesday.
Directed by filmmaker Alexandria Stapleton, the project traces Combs’ path from chart-topping mogul to the center of one of the most high-profile criminal cases in the music industry.
Stapleton said in a news release that the series was partly inspired by Combs’ former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, whose 2023 sexual assault lawsuit against him helped ignite renewed scrutiny of the star.
“This isn’t just about the story of Sean Combs or the story of Cassie, or the story of any of the victims, or the allegations against him, or the trial,” Stapleton said. “Ultimately, this story is a mirror (reflecting us) as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal.”
According to the streaming platform, the series includes never-before-seen footage and interviews with people from Combs’ inner circle, detailing how “something darker began to color his ambitions” as his career progressed.
Jackson, who has produced films and series through G-Unit Film and Television, said he has been “committed to real storytelling for years,” noting that this project continues that mission.
The “In da Club” rapper and Combs have had beef for decades. The feud began when Jackson released his 2006 diss track, “The Bomb,” in which he accused Combs of having something to do with the 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. Combs has denied the accusations.
The series’ first teaser features the voice of former Bad Boy rapper Mark Curry, known for appearing on Combs’ hit “Bad Boy for Life” and now an outspoken critic of his former collaborator.
Combs was convicted in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, following a nine-week trial in which Ventura served as the star witness.
He began serving his sentence last month at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey after spending about 13 months in pretrial detention at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. That time will count toward his 50-month sentence, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons currently listing May 8, 2028, as his projected release date.
In addition to the criminal conviction, Combs faces multiple civil lawsuits tied to allegations of sexual misconduct. His legal team has unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the conviction or secure a new trial, and he continues to pursue appeals while in custody.
