Alexandria Stapleton details the secrecy and threats behind Netflix’s Diddy documentary, and why hip-hop’s reckoning with abuse and power is far from over.
‘Diddy’ claims Netflix used ‘stolen’ footage in new documentary
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is pushing back on Netflix and 50 Cent, saying that the documentary about him uses footage that was “never authorized for release.”
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- The documentary was produced in secrecy, with Stapleton describing the production as a “Navy SEAL operation” due to threats.
- Executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was instrumental in getting people to participate in the series.
- The series includes never-before-seen footage of Combs, which he is now suing over, alleging it was stolen.
For nearly two years, director Alexandria Stapleton worked in total secrecy to tell the story of one of music’s most powerful and, eventually, disgraced figures: Sean “Diddy” Combs. When her four-part Netflix documentary, “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” started streaming in December 2025, the stories of those who had long feared speaking publicly were heard around the world. The series reached No. 1 on the streaming platform, and now it’s also the subject of critical acclaim having earned three Emmy nominations for outstanding directing, outstanding documentary or nonfiction series and outstanding picture editing.
Executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, “The Reckoning” examines the rise and fall of Combs, the allegations of violence and sexual misconduct against him, and his history of instilling fear and control to silence those around him. The series was released months after Combs’ highly publicized federal trial in which a New York jury acquitted the music mogul of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, but convicted him on two counts of transporting people for prostitution. Combs was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison and continues to appeal his conviction. He is now expected to be released in February 2028.
The series features interviews with Combs’ former employees, artists, and childhood friends. It also includes never-before-seen footage recorded during the six days before his September 2024 arrest. The footage, which Netflix and Stapleton said was filmed with Combs’ knowledge and obtained legally, illustrated the gap between Combs’ carefully cultivated public image and his candid behavior behind closed doors.
Combs threatened to sue Netflix back in December ahead of the series’ release. On Aug. 13, Combs countersued music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, alleging that Jones stole private footage intended for Combs’ own documentary and sold it to Netflix. The lawsuit also accuses Jones, who appears in the series and previously sued Combs in 2024, of making defamatory statements in the documentary.
Stapleton, whose previous credits include “Reggie,” “How Music Got Free” and HBO’s “God Save Texas,” spoke with USA TODAY about the Emmy-nominated Netflix series. The director discussed how she earned the trust of people who were afraid to speak publicly, the threats she received during production, and what Combs’ story reveals about power and accountability in the music industry.
Question: Congratulations on three Emmy nominations. What did the recognition mean after spending so many years on this project?
Stapleton: It’s a total honor. It’s one of the highest achievements that you could have, to be recognized for the craft of filmmaking, so I was thrilled. To get that series nomination was incredible because it really represents how there’s an entire army of people coming together to make this really important series. We worked really hard.
You spent years making this documentary in a vacuum. How did it feel to release it, and what did you think of the audience’s response?
I knew that people would watch because of the subject matter. 50 Cent was teasing on social media for a long time that it was going to come out. I knew it would make some noise, I just had no idea it would blow up the way it did. I remember 50’s reaction when he watched the rough cuts. He said, “I’m telling you, this is going to be huge.” Even in the last week before it was released, he told me, “You should prepare yourself for what’s going to happen.” But I had no idea. People stayed up waiting for it to drop and were reacting in real time on TikTok. It was insane.
Early in the first episode, viewers see Sean Combs discussing the importance of media strategy and saying his team needs someone who understands propaganda and media manipulation. Why did you choose to open the documentary with that conversation?
We were already midway through the edit when we started working with that footage, and it was a Herculean challenge to figure out how to weave it in so that it told its own story while we also presented the historical timeline leading through the trial. We discussed that moment a lot and tried it in several places. I worried that jumping in without context wouldn’t work and people wouldn’t understand it, but my partners at Netflix suggested we try it, and my editors agreed. When we cut it in, we were like, “Yes, it totally works.” It just sets the table in the most perfect way and I think it gives you insight. It sets a tone for everything that you’re going to watch and it makes you question Combs at every moment. It makes you think about: What’s reality and what’s spin? When is he trying to use reverse psychology in the media to spin a story in his favor?
It took you two years to complete “The Reckoning.” What was the most stressful part?
It was all stressful. It was probably one of my most stressful products I’ve ever touched or been a part of. It was really hard. Maybe towards the end of our first year we sort of got into a groove, and then we were cocooned when we were fully in post-production and we were done shooting. I think we were able to focus and live in a cave. It was very challenging, but we managed to pull it off and keep everyone absolutely silent about what we were making.
There were so many challenges but from a production standpoint, in particular, the challenge of having the people who participated feel comfortable, opening them up, and making sure that I wasn’t leaving them feeling exploited or used in any way. I wanted them to really feel like they were giving interviews and testimonies that allowed them to tell me and the camera the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was challenging to juggle all of that.
Usually on a film, I’m able to be more open about who else is participating and people can talk behind the scenes. But on this project, out of respect for confidentiality, I couldn’t do that. It was challenging to protect the people who participated, including my crew. We were working with some really hard stories, things that are not in the film that are really disturbing. We were working with that type of material day in, day out, you have to keep your wits about you and cut through the noise of the media. We were very committed to giving the story breadth and really taking our time to paint a much larger, comprehensive picture of his world that hadn’t been shown before.
How did you earn the trust of so many people who were afraid to speak publicly about Combs? Was 50 Cent helpful in securing those interviews?
50 was completely instrumental in that. We started the film before there was even an indictment, and I think his involvement provided people with a sense of security. They felt safe with him shepherding the project. Being the executive producer, he had conversations with some of the people who participated, which was a huge part of gaining access. Also, once I connected with people and they became comfortable with me, they would advocate for me. My producers reached out to people. We had an incredible team working to understand the civil suits, vetting potential subjects. We were also incredibly patient. A big difference with this project is there was no air date or timeline, so we had the time to wait.
Were you ever afraid of Sean Combs yourself?
I was, and it wasn’t only about physical safety. It’s only natural when you’re dealing with a lot of victims and seeing what their lives were like that you become sort of an extension of that. You’re then carrying their stories and putting them into the world.
I definitely went through a period of feeling uneasy. We had incidents while shooting with some unsavory characters who made threats. It wasn’t directly from Combs; it was fans and people in the extended world around him. It was a chronic thing we dealt with on the side. It required us to operate like a Navy SEAL operation, the way we filmed. No one knew where we were, so when people found us and made threats, we took it seriously. [We wondered], how did they infiltrate and get that information? We ran a tight ship. Traditionally, when you’re filming you tell your producing partners where you are and who you’re filming with. We never released that information beyond the people who had to be there.
What did you learn while making the documentary that shocked you most?
The unseen footage of Combs [filming himself before his trial]. I didn’t plan on having it. As far as I’m concerned, it fell out of the sky. It came from left field. I had no idea we would get it. Watching it was validating because it showed how dubious and manipulative he could be. In the conversation at the beginning of the series, he owns that he’s going to play in your face and use the media to paint the image he wants to uphold.
One moment that especially stood out was when someone stopped him on the street who, I believe, had made this jacket for a family member who had passed away, and he was so excited to see Sean Combs in Harlem. He was a dedicated fan, because the allegations were already out there and Sean Combs was being raked over the coals by the media, the Cassie tape was already out, and this guy was like, “Take this jacket,” just showing his love for Sean. And for Sean to get into the car with his team and say something like, ‘Ugh, I have to cleanse myself, I’ve been touching too many people,” knowing he has a camera running was wild.
How did you acquire the footage?
I’m not going to reveal anything about my source. It came into my orbit. I had no idea that footage was being recorded.
Have you heard from Combs or anyone in his orbit about his reaction to the series?
No. I know what the public knows. His mother publicly said she wasn’t a fan and Combs responded through his representatives. I haven’t had any contact with him or anyone else in his circle.
As several high-profile men accused of abuse attempt public comebacks, what does this moment say about our culture’s relationship to accountability? Do you think these stories are still important?
My goal with the film was to ignite a conversation. It’s not the answer, by any means, but it definitely ignited it. When the tape of Combs beating Cassie came out, the fact that there were men who were like, “What did she do to prompt that?” and all of these ludicrous comments, is beyond disturbing.
There are a lot of paradoxes, and sometimes things get messy before they can get better. I believe in us as people. I believe that people inherently want to live in a community where we are protected, we treat people with respect, and we don’t condone abusive and exploitative situations. But I think we have our work cut out for us. My way of contributing is as thoroughly as I can, presenting you with a set of facts and stories to get people talking and thinking.
There was a Me Too movement, but there wasn’t a Me Too movement in hip-hop. What does that look like? This series was a journey into that space, and it’s been cool to see people standing up to that behavior. Going back to 50, he took a stand.
Do you think there’s more of Combs’ story to tell? Would you be interested in that?
It’s not over. I’m not opposed to continuing, but it would have to break new ground. I still think there’s a major story beyond Combs himself about the ecosystem of money and power that allowed this to happen – and the people who knew it was happening. That is a reckoning.