Netflix’s latest docuseries, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, has become the talk of the entertainment world, surging to the platform’s No. 1 spot just days after its release on December 8, 2025. The four-part series, executive produced by rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson), dives deep into the rise and controversies of Sean “Diddy” Combs, one of hip-hop’s most influential—and now most scrutinized—figures. But the show isn’t just about recent headlines; it’s a sprawling account of fame, power, rivalry, and the shadows that have followed Combs for decades.
The docuseries arrives only two months after Combs was sentenced to four years in prison on federal racketeering-related charges. While he was cleared of the more serious allegations, including racketeering and sex trafficking, the conviction for transportation to engage in prostitution was enough to send shockwaves through the music industry. According to The Tab and Vulture, the timing of the documentary’s release was anything but accidental—Netflix clearly intended to capitalize on public fascination with the mogul’s legal downfall.
Yet, as Vulture notes, the first half of The Reckoning isn’t all about scandal. Instead, it traces Combs’ early years, his entry into the music business, and the creation of Bad Boy Entertainment. The series paints a vivid picture of the 1990s East Coast–West Coast rap feud, a conflict that would claim the lives of two of hip-hop’s brightest stars: Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls). The rivalry between Combs’ Bad Boy Records and Suge Knight’s Death Row Records is a central theme, with archival footage and interviews bringing the era’s tension and drama back to life.
One of the most riveting aspects of the docuseries is its use of never-before-seen pretrial footage of Combs in New York City, captured just days before his arrest on September 16, 2024. In these candid moments, Combs is heard strategizing with his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, about the importance of managing public perception. “We have to find somebody that will work with us,” he says on the phone, “It could be somebody that has dealt in the dirtiest of dirtiest dirty business of media and propaganda.” The footage also shows Combs interacting with fans and expressing discomfort with the constant public attention, remarking, “That’s what I have to do … It’s like 150 hugs, you feel me? We gotta be realistic about what’s going on out here, it’s time to cleanse.”
The use of this footage has sparked a legal spat between Combs’ team and Netflix. Combs’ lawyers sent a cease and desist letter, claiming the material was “never authorized for release.” A spokesperson argued, “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.” Netflix, however, stands by its actions. The company insists the footage was “legally obtained” and that 50 Cent, while credited as executive producer, “does not have creative control. No one was paid to participate.” Director Alexandria Stapleton added, “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.”
The series doesn’t shy away from the darkest rumors surrounding Combs. It features audio from a 2008 proffer interview with Duane “Keefe D” Davis, a Crips gang member currently awaiting trial for Tupac’s murder. In the tape, Davis alleges that Combs offered him $1 million to orchestrate the killing of both Tupac and Suge Knight, with Eric “Von Zip” Martin acting as a middleman. While these claims are sensational, The Tab and Vulture both stress that the audio is not conclusive proof—Davis himself now says the proffer was made under duress. Diddy has always denied involvement in either rapper’s death.
The documentary also shines a spotlight on Suge Knight, the notorious co-founder of Death Row Records who was driving the car when Tupac was fatally shot in Las Vegas in 1996. Knight’s reputation, as The Tab recounts, was built as much on alleged gang ties and violence as on music. Currently, Knight is serving a 28-year sentence at RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California, for a 2015 hit-and-run that killed businessman Terry Carter. He won’t be eligible for parole until October 2034, after his 2025 appeal was rejected.
In interviews from prison, Knight has continued to share his version of Tupac’s final moments, claiming he was present when the rapper passed away and that Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, provided pills to honor her son’s wish not to be revived. Knight appears briefly in the Netflix series, maintaining his code of silence: he says he wouldn’t help police even if he knew more about the shooting.
The latter episodes of The Reckoning return to Combs’ more recent controversies—specifically, the more than 70 civil suits alleging sexual assault and abuse. The docuseries presents testimonies from former associates and artists, including Dawn Richard, Aubrey O’Day, and Kalenna Harper, who detail allegations ranging from sexual assault to financial exploitation and harsh working conditions. One particularly harrowing moment comes from O’Day, who reads an affidavit recounting an alleged assault involving Combs. “Does this mean I was raped? Is that what this means? I don’t even know if I was raped and I don’t want to know,” she says, her voice raw with emotion. O’Day adds, “You realize the burden that that puts on my soul for the past year, which is, if I expose one person who’s got a civil lawsuit, that gives Diddy and his legal team credit to take down everybody else as potential liars.”
The documentary also features two jurors from Combs’ federal trial, who explain their reasoning for the verdict. While their insights add dimension, they don’t introduce any new facts beyond what has already been reported in the press.
Of course, the backdrop to all of this is the long-running feud between Combs and 50 Cent. Their rivalry, which dates back to the early 2000s, has played out in diss tracks, business disputes, and—now—on the world’s biggest streaming platform. 50 Cent has faced criticism for his motives, with some suggesting he’s more interested in settling scores than advocating for victims. But as he told ABC News’ Good Morning America, “If I didn’t say anything, you would interpret it as that hip-hop is fine with his behaviors. There’s no one else being vocal.”
As the credits roll on Sean Combs: The Reckoning, viewers are left with more questions than answers. The series doesn’t claim to solve the mysteries that have haunted hip-hop for decades, but it does pull back the curtain on the power, pain, and politics that have shaped its biggest stars—and the price they, and those around them, have paid.
