Inside Sean Combs: The Reckoning — Will Netflix Finally Tackle the Jay-Z Allegations?
As Netflix readies Sean Combs: The Reckoning, the burning question is whether it will confront the since-dropped lawsuit that briefly linked Jay-Z to Diddy’s scandal, alleging sexual assault—claims Jay-Z denied before the case was voluntarily dismissed.
Netflix just dropped 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning,' and the orbit around it is already messy. The doc zeroes in on the growing pile of allegations against Combs, but there was a side question floating around: would it drag Jay-Z into the story after that brief, headliney lawsuit earlier this year? Short answer: looks like no.
The Jay-Z question, in plain English
- An anonymous plaintiff filed a suit in early 2024 accusing both Combs and Jay-Z of sexual assault.
- Jay-Z denied the claim.
- The plaintiff later voluntarily dismissed the case.
- Speculation lingered about whether the Netflix doc would mention any of that. Based on new chatter, it apparently does not.
50 Cent says Hov is not in the doc (and he could not resist a joke)
50 Cent posted on Instagram basically celebrating Jay-Z not being part of the series. He joked about Jay-Z's reaction in a clip that deepfakes Jay-Z's face onto Lionel Richie singing 'You Are the Sun, You Are the Rain.' Subtle, it is not, but it gets the point across: no Jay-Z subplot here.
Diddy fires back at the doc and at Netflix
Combs is not taking the series quietly. Through his reps, he labeled the project a 'shameful hit piece' and accused Netflix of using footage that he says was never cleared. He also claimed the streamer handed creative control to Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, whom Combs calls a longtime adversary with an axe to grind.
'Today's GMA teaser confirms that Netflix relied on stolen footage that was never authorized for release.'
Combs also says he has been filming his own life since he was 19 with the intent of telling his story his way, and alleges Netflix is misappropriating that work.
The producers push back
Alex Stapleton, a producer on 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning,' told Variety that the team obtained the footage legally and has the necessary rights. She also said Combs's legal team was contacted multiple times for comment or an interview and did not respond.
As of now, Netflix has not issued an official response to Combs's claims.
Where to watch
'Sean Combs: The Reckoning' is streaming now on Netflix.