The Netflix docuseries “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” announced in late September 2024 and executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, has premiered, offering a four-episode, four-hour chronicle of rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs' life, marked by darkness and numerous allegations. The project, directed by Alexandria Stapleton, includes footage Combs commissioned in the week leading up to his September 16, 2024, arrest for federal sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering. Combs’ New York City trial for these charges began on May 5, 2025. After three days of deliberation, the jury delivered a split verdict on July 2, finding him guilty on two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution, but acquitting him on the sex trafficking and racketeering charges. This resulted in a sentence of four years in prison, including time served, a milder outcome than the potential life behind bars he faced.

Several voices contribute to the docuseries, including two jurors from Combs’ trial. Juror 160, a Millennial woman who grew up with the music Combs was involved in, acknowledged his violence toward Cassie Ventura, calling it “unforgivable.” However, she emphasized that domestic violence was not among the charges. Juror 75, a middle-aged man with no prior knowledge of Combs, expressed confusion over the 11-year on-and-off relationship between Combs and Ventura, noting their frequent reconciliations despite incidents of violence. Both jurors anticipated the controversy surrounding their split verdict.

Aubrey O’Day, a former member of Combs’ girl group Danity Kane from “Making the Band,” details her experiences with the mogul. She alleges that Combs made it clear she was “the looker,” creating different expectations and leading to what she felt was “grooming.” O’Day described receiving explicit emails from Combs, reading one aloud which contained passages like, “‘I don’t wanna just fuck you. I wanna turn you out. I can see you being with some motherfucker that you tell what to do. I make my woman do what I tell her to do, and she loves it. I just want — and like — to do things different. I’mma finish watching this porn and finish masturbating. I’ll think of you, happy face. If you change your mind and get ready to do what I say, hit me. Happy face. God bless, Diddy. God is the greatest.’” O’Day felt she was fired six months later for not participating sexually, also speculating that Combs was developing a different project with fellow Danity Kane member Dawn Richard. She later learned of an affidavit from a civil lawsuit alleging she was found inebriated, naked from the bottom half, and being penetrated by Combs and another man. O’Day expressed conflict over this, stating she had no recollection and “didn’t drink like that at all.” She questioned if she was raped and grappled with the burden of potentially discrediting a victim if the allegation were false.

Other accusers and former associates also share their stories. Clayton Howard, a former sex worker, claims to have worked with Combs and his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura for eight years, describing “freak-offs,” drug-fueled sex parties, Combs’ control over Cassie, videotaping, and semen collection. Howard revealed that every March 9, the anniversary of Biggie Smalls’ murder, he would be flown to wherever Combs and Ventura were to have sex with Cassie for three or four days. Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a producer on Combs’ 2023 album “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” is suing Combs for sexual assault. He alleged that Combs showed him gay porn, and he would wake up with Combs lying next to him. Jones stated he was only offered $29,000 for his work, which he never received. Capricorn Clark, Combs’ longtime assistant, recounted in the docuseries how Diddy allegedly kidnapped her at gunpoint to try to kill Kid Cudi, Cassie’s new boyfriend.

The docuseries delves into Combs’ tumultuous past, starting with his childhood. His father, a figure in NYC drug dealing, was murdered when Combs was three. His mother, Janice, allegedly hosted wild parties at her home, filled with figures described as “pimps” or “hustlers,” and even members of the New York Knicks. Childhood friend Tim Patterson also described Janice as a violent disciplinarian. Combs himself allegedly exhibited violence, with Patterson and Kirk Burrowes (co-founder of Bad Boy Entertainment) recalling an incident in his early 20s where Combs slapped his mother and called her a “bitch” after she questioned his career choices following a tragic stampede at a celebrity basketball game he promoted in 1991. Burrowes also stated that Combs was violent with his first romantic partner, stylist Misa Hylton, physically assaulting her in the street due to jealousy. Burrowes further described an incident where Combs deliberately had him walk into his office to witness a woman performing oral sex on him, which Burrowes perceived as a power move.

“The Reckoning” also touches on the death of Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls. It includes never-before-broadcast footage and audio of the moments before and during Biggie’s 1997 drive-by death. Kirk Burrowes refuted Combs’ claim that Biggie wanted a “peace tour” in Los Angeles, asserting that Combs canceled a European press junket, keeping Biggie in Los Angeles against his wishes, and effectively “ushered Biggie to his death.” Burrowes also claimed Combs intended to make Biggie’s lavish funeral a “recoupable charge” to Biggie’s estate. In a tone-deaf moment captured in footage before his arrest, Combs complained about needing hand sanitizer and a “boiling hot” bath with peroxide after interacting with fans in Harlem, stating he needed to “cleanse.”

The docuseries also highlights Combs’ PR strategy. Footage from six days before his arrest shows Combs discussing hiring a strategist experienced in “the dirtiest of dirtiest, dirty business of media and propaganda” to improve his public image. During his trial, Diddy’s PR team allegedly engaged with new media reporters (YouTubers, bloggers, TikTokers) in the court lunchroom, offering transcripts and highlighting specific talking points, raising concerns that unsequestered jurors could have been influenced by these narratives online.

Combs’ legal counsel issued a statement regarding “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” declining to comment on individual claims and asserting that many people featured have “longstanding personal grievances, financial motives, or credibility issues.” The statement also claimed many stories were already addressed in court filings or were never raised legally because they are untrue. They described the project as a “one-sided narrative led by a publicly admitted adversary” that repeats allegations “without context, evidence, or verification,” concluding that Sean Combs would address legitimate matters through the legal process, not a “biased Netflix production.” Combs’ team also claimed Netflix relied on “stolen footage” and that Combs had been amassing footage since age 19 to tell his own story.