Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother, Janice, is speaking out against Netflix’s new docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning, insisting the series is “intentionally misleading” about her relationship with her son and his childhood.
“I am writing this statement to correct some of the lies presented in the Netflix Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” she said in a statement to Deadline. “These inaccuracies regarding my son Sean’s upbringing and family life [are] intentionally done to mislead viewers and further harm our reputation.”
Janice first addressed the doc’s claim that she physically abused her son growing up.
“In the documentary, I am portrayed as an abusive parent,” she said. “This is untrue. As I have stated previously, I was a single mother, raising my son, I held three and even four jobs in an attempt to provide a comfortable upbringing and quality education for my child. I raised Sean with love and hard work, not abuse.”
She then responded to another allegation in the series — that Diddy once struck her during an argument after the tragic 1991 City College celebrity basketball game, where nine people were killed and more than 30 were injured at an event he promoted.
“The allegations stated by Mr. Kirk Burrows that my son slapped me while we were conversing after the tragic City College events on December 28, 1991, are inaccurate and patently false,” she said. “That was a very sad day for all of us.”
Sean Combs: The Reckoning premiered on Dec. 2 and was executive produced by 50 Cent, who has long had public tension with Diddy. In a recent GQ interview, 50 said his involvement wasn’t rooted in personal issues.
“If someone’s not saying something, then you would assume everybody in hip-hop is okay with what’s going on,” he explained, adding that most artists prefer to “mind [their] business” given the power Diddy held for years — something that pushed him to step up.
Ahead of the premiere, Diddy’s legal team sent Netflix a cease-and-desist letter calling the series a “hit piece” and alleging that interviewees were paid to participate. Netflix responded by stating that no one involved in the documentary received payment.
