Diddy’s lawyers claim 50 Cent’s Netflix documentary uses “stolen footage”
Lawyers issued a cease-and-desist to the streaming service on the night the series was premiered
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs' lawyers have issued a cease and desist order to Netflix, arguing that 50 Cent’s new four-part docuseries on the disgraced musician uses “stolen footage”.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning was released on the streaming platform on December 2, described as a “staggering examination of the media mogul, music legend, and convicted offender”.
According to CNN, Combs’ lawyers issued a cease-and-desist order to Netflix on the night of the documentary’s premiere, demanding that it not release the four-part series.
A spokesperson for Combs told CNN that the documentary, which they call a “shameful hit piece”, uses “stolen footage that was never authorised for release”.
The documentary – originally announced last March and produced by rival rapper 50 Cent – explores the allegations against Diddy, who is currently serving a 50-month sentence in a New Jersey jail.
It follows Diddy’s launch into fame with his Bad Boy Entertainment enterprise, where he worked with the likes of The Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige, to the latest developments in a legal case that saw him convicted on two counts of transportation for purposes of prostitution in July.
Netflix has since released an interview with the documentary’s filmmakers, with director Alexandria Stapleton explaining: “It came to us, we obtained the footage legally and have the necessary rights.”
“We moved heaven and earth to keep the filmmaker’s identity confidential. One thing about Sean Combs is that he’s always filming himself, and it’s been an obsession throughout the decades. We also reached out to Sean Combs’ legal team for an interview and comment multiple times, but did not hear back.”
Find out more about Sean Combs: The Reckoning here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
