The release of Netflix’s four-part Diddy documentary has sparked several allegations from the mogul’s reps, including accusations that certain footage was never authorized for use.
Now, a documentarian who previously worked with the Bad Boy Records founder is speaking out, placing the blame on an unnamed “third party” for how the disputed clips ended up in the hands of 50 Cent’s production.
“For over two years we have been working on a project profiling Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs,” Michael Oberlies, also known as Obes, said in a statement via a Diddy spokesperson. “The footage in question was not released by me or anyone authorized to handle Sean Combs’ materials; it was by a third party who covered for me for three days while I was out of state. This incident had nothing to do with any fee dispute or contract issue.”
Oberlies continued: “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.”
His statement was first reported by Rolling Stone.
Footage featured in the Alexandria Stapleton–directed docuseries — which lists 50 Cent as an executive producer — shows Diddy in the days leading up to his 2024 arrest and trial. A Netflix spokesperson previously said that the disputed clips, which Diddy’s reps quickly challenged, were “legally obtained.”
The streamer also pushed back on other allegations from Diddy’s team, including claims that participants had “financial motives” for appearing in the project.
“The claims being made about Sean Combs: The Reckoning are false,” a Netflix spokesperson told Complex on Dec. 3, one day after Stapleton’s series premiered. “The project has no ties to any past conversations between Sean Combs and Netflix. The footage of Combs leading up to his indictment and arrest were legally obtained. This is not a hit piece or an act of retribution. Curtis Jackson is an executive producer but does not have creative control. No one was paid to participate.”
The series has already become a major success. This week, Netflix reported nearly 22 million opening-week views.
All of this is unfolding while Diddy remains incarcerated after being convicted earlier this year on two Mann Act violations. The 56-year-old is currently scheduled for release in 2028.
