Lawyers for incarcerated music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs have sent a cease-and-desist letter to Netflix, demanding the streaming giant halt the release of a new docuseries executive-produced by longtime rival Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
The legal threat centers on claims that the documentary uses “stolen” and unauthorized private footage, as the four-part docuseries titled Sean Combs: The Reckoning is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on Tuesday.
In a strongly worded statement issued Monday, Combs’ representatives slammed the project as a “shameful hit piece” and alleged that the inclusion of the footage constitutes copyright infringement and possession of stolen property.
“Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorized for release,” the statement read, referencing a teaser trailer that included a clip of Combs discussing legal strategy with his attorneys in the days leading up to his arrest last year.
“As Netflix and CEO Ted Sarandos know, Mr. Combs has been amassing footage since he was 19 to tell his own story, in his own way. It is fundamentally unfair, and illegal, for Netflix to misappropriate that work.”
The lawyers for the 56-year-old Combs, who is currently serving a four-year sentence on prostitution-related charges, further criticized Netflix for granting creative control to his adversary, 50 Cent. The two hip-hop figures have a long-standing, public feud.
“It is equally staggering that Netflix handed creative control to Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson — a longtime adversary with a personal vendetta who has spent too much time slandering Mr. Combs,” the statement continued.
The documentary’s director, Alexandria Stapleton, and executive producer, 50 Cent, addressed the controversy during a Monday morning appearance on Good Morning America. Stapleton maintained that the filmmakers legally obtained the footage and have the “necessary rights” to use it.
The footage in question, which appears to show Combs speaking with his legal team, was reportedly recorded for a separate, unfinished project that was later abandoned. Combs’ team asserts that no rights to this material were ever transferred to Netflix or any third party.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning is set to explore the rise, influence, and subsequent criminal and legal troubles of the hip-hop titan.
Netflix has not yet publicly responded to the cease-and-desist letter or the statement from Combs’ legal team.
