Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ videographer reveals how 50 Cent obtained documentary footage
50 Cent managed to obtain unreleased footage of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for his new Netflix documentary. Now, Combs’ videographer has explained how he got hold of it.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning was released on December 2nd and has been dominating headlines since, through its examination of sexual misconduct allegations against the Bad Boy rapper.
One of the main talking points of the documentary is the inclusion of unseen, personal clips of Combs in the days leading up to his arrest in September 2024.
Combs’ legal team stated they were “deeply concerned” about some of the videos and alleged they were stolen.
Michael Oberlies, the documentarian hired by Combs over the past two years, has gone into detail about 50 acquiring the clips.
“For over two years we have been working on a project profiling Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs,” he told Rolling Stone. “The footage in question was not released by me or anyone authorised to handle Sean Combs’ materials; it was by a third party who covered for me for three days while I was out of state.”
He continued, “This incident had nothing to do with any fee dispute or contract issue. 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.”
Both Netflix and director Alexandria Stapleton have maintained that the footage was “legally obtained.”
Sean Combs: The Reckoning debuted with 21.8 million views in its first week on Netflix, only marginally behind Stranger Things season five’s 23.6 million views.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.