Diddy Staffer Reveals How Netflix Obtained Behind-The-Scenes Footage Of Him Days Before His Shocking Arrest

The explosive four-part documentary about the life of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, released by Netflix in early December 2025, has already caused much commotion. Immediately after the streaming giant made the series, titled "Sean Combs: The Reckoning," available for streaming, Diddy's team leveled shocking allegations of wrongdoing against Netflix. Those closest to the disgraced rapper, including his mother, also released statements condemning the streamer for allegedly releasing blatant lies. Now, a rep from the incarcerated rapper's team has revealed even more details about the inclusion of stunning, never-before-seen footage of the performer just days prior to his September 2024 arrest.

Netflix's "The Reckoning" features exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage of the rapper before his September arrest. Many of the clips showcased the father of seven arguing with his legal team, discussing his defense against the then-allegations, and interacting with New York City community members.

The footage, clearly meant to remain private, led Diddy's team to release a statement about the docuseries, calling it a "shameful hit piece" that was "built around a one-sided narrative led by a publicly admitted adversary, and it repeats allegations without context, evidence, or verification."

Netflix fired back at the claims, declaring that it obtained the footage "legally and [has] the necessary rights" to air it. The series' director, Alexandria Stapleton, further revealed that Netflix reached out to Diddy's team for comment repeatedly but never heard back.

"The claims being made about 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning' are false. The project has no ties to any past conversations between Sean Combs and Netflix," a rep from Netflix said about the production. "The footage of Combs leading up to his indictment and arrest were legally obtained. This is not a hit piece or an act of retribution. Curtis Jackson is an executive producer but does not have creative control. No one was paid to participate."

It remained unclear how Netflix obtained the footage of Diddy until Michael Oberlies, a documentarian hired to film Diddy over the last two years, spoke out. In a statement to Rolling Stone, the filmmaker explained that Netflix acquired the footage after he hired a freelancer to fill in for him.

"For over two years, we have been working on a project profiling Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs," Oberlies said. "The footage in question was not released by me or anyone authorized to handle Sean Combs’ materials; it was by a third party who covered for me for three days while I was out of state."

Oberlies dismissed the claims that Netflix obtained the footage due to contract disputes. "The actions of the parties involved reflect the lack of integrity every storyteller should uphold. Taking footage intended for our project to advance a narrative that was not our own is both unethical and unacceptable," he continued.

Associates of the rapper aren't the only ones speaking out about the stories presented in the Netflix docuseries. In fact, Diddy's mother, Janice Combs, reacted to the footage, some of which claimed Diddy once slapped her following a disagreement, calling the allegations blatant "lies."

"These inaccuracies regarding my son Sean’s upbringing and family life is intentionally done to mislead viewers and further harm our reputation," she said, according to The Blast. Janice went further, denying the claims that she often abused her son. "To the contrary, I loved and nurtured Sean. My memories of Sean growing up are one of a respectful and a diligent child and teenager. Sean has always been an industrious, goal oriented, over achiever."

While Diddy and Janice must deal with what they believe are inaccuracies presented in the Netflix docuseries, audience members are tuning in, making it a verified hit on the streamer's servers.

According to a new report from Deadline, the series scored 21.8 million views in its first week, coming in second to the Duffer Brothers' series, "Stranger Things."

Executive producer 50 Cent got candid about why he joined the series, saying, "If I didn't say anything, you would interpret it as hip-hop is fine with his behaviors."

He added, "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."