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Netflix’s Diddy Doc Surges to 21.8 Million Views as Videographer Points to Freelancer for Contested Footage

Producers say they obtained the material lawfully.

Overview

  • The four-part Sean Combs: The Reckoning, executive produced by 50 Cent, drew about 21.8 million first‑week views on Netflix, according to Deadline.
  • Combs’ personal videographer Michael Oberlies said a temporary freelancer, not him, released the behind‑the‑scenes clips that appear in the series.
  • Netflix and director Alexandria Stapleton maintain the footage was legally obtained and say Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson did not have creative control.
  • Combs’ representatives denounced the project as a “shameful hit piece,” sent a cease‑and‑desist to Netflix, and are reportedly weighing a defamation suit seeking up to $1 billion.
  • 50 Cent says he spoke with Cassie while producing the doc and has hinted at releasing additional unseen material, as the series also coincides with a spike in streams of his music catalog.