Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson on why he executive-produced new Sean 'Diddy' Combs doc
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is opening up about his decision to executive-produce a new docuseries about fellow rapper and mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is currently serving time in prison after being convicted on prostitution-related charges.
"If I didn't say anything, you would interpret it as hip-hop is fine with his behaviors," Jackson told ABC News' Robin Roberts in an exclusive interview that aired Monday on "Good Morning America." "There's no one else being vocal. So, you would look at it and just say ... 'mind your business,' or 'lemme not say nothin' about nothin',' or those things that would allow an entire culture to register as if they're for that behavior."
Jackson teamed up with director Alexandria Stapleton for the docuseries, titled "Sean Combs: The Reckoning," which features never-before-seen footage of Combs, obtained by Netflix, in the days leading up to his arrest in New York City in September 2024, including a video clip of Combs debating with his lawyers over the phone about strategy.
"It was very interesting to watch a man who's known for his brand presence -- you know, he has a really amazing knack for marketing and all of that -- and how he was sort of taking that into account in how he was coming off to the public," Stapleton told Roberts.
Another clip from the docuseries shows Combs greeting fans in Harlem and reacting afterwards, saying he needed hand sanitizer and a bath. Jackson said the interaction and clip were just one example that illustrated what kind of person he thinks Combs is.
"Got in the car and said, 'Ugh, I feel like I need to wash, like, I'm [dirty],' … it shows you his character," Jackson said. "What's the odds that you would do that in front of a camera? Like, that's one of the moments where he forgot he was on tape."
In a statement to ABC News Monday, Combs' representative criticized the new docuseries, claiming the never-before-seen footage was stolen and calling the series a "shameful hit piece."
"Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorized for release. As Netflix and its CEO Ted Sarandos well know, Mr. Combs has been amassing footage for decades, since he was 19 years old, to tell his own story, in his own way. It is fundamentally unfair, not to mention illegal, for Netflix to misappropriate that work," the statement read in part.
"It is also shocking that Netflix gave creative control of this production to Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson -- a longtime public adversary who has a personal vendetta against Mr. Combs and has made a career of slandering and defaming him. ... For Netflix to hand his story to someone who has publicly attacked him for decades feels, to Mr. Combs, like an unnecessary and deeply personal affront," the statement continued.
Stapleton refuted the representative's claims, saying in a statement, "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."
"Sean Combs: The Reckoning," a four-part series, also features two jurors -- Juror 75 and Juror 160 -- from Combs' trial, who are speaking for the first time about how they reached the mixed verdict.
The jury found Combs guilty in July of two prostitution offences, acquitting him of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion in connection with Combs' former girlfriend Cassie Ventura and another one of his former girlfriends, who testified under the pseudonym "Jane."
Juror 75 described Combs and Ventura as "two people in love," while Juror 160 said in part, "Domestic violence wasn't one of the charges."
"I feel like Cassie's a victim in all this," Jackson added. "Because ... she's, like, 18, 19 years old in the very beginning. After a while, over time, you condition for it."
Stapleton said she hopes the docuseries will have audiences questioning how Combs' trial unfolded.
"What the film is trying to do is to let the audience kind of come in to ask questions like, 'Were their decisions colored by certain things? And who got the benefit of the doubt in that courtroom?'" Stapleton said.
Overall, Jackson said he thinks if Combs were to watch the new docuseries, he would be impressed by it.
"I think he's gonna say, 'This is the best documentary I've seen in a long time,' said Jackson. "And he may feel a different way about pieces and bits of it. But he knows the truth. I think he'll see the truth in it."
"Sean Combs: The Reckoning" will be available to stream worldwide on Netflix starting on Dec. 2.
Editor's note: This article was updated to include comments from Sean Combs and Netflix.
