50 Cent says his involvement was to address industry silence on Diddy’s alleged misconduct.
50 Cent claims he didn’t control the doc’s narrative, though he suggests it could’ve been more critical.
50 Cent criticizes Diddy’s relationship with Cassie, a 19-year-old at the time, as an example of his influence.
50 Cent is doubling down on claims that his Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning isn’t a result of a personal vendetta.
Source: John Lamparski/ Prince Williams
During a recent interview with GQ, the rapper-turned-media-mogul explained why he wanted to help bring the docuseries to Netflix. The series covers the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, highlighting accounts from former collaborators and people who once worked closely with the Bad Boy founder.
While many thought that Fif’s involvement made sense, due to his obvious disdain for Diddy, the rapper insisted that his involvement was moreso a response to the rest of the industry staying quiet for too long.
“If someone’s not saying something, then you would assume everybody in hip-hop is okay with what’s going on,” the producer, full name Curtis James Jackson III, said of his involvement.
He went on to suggest that a lot of folks in the music industry tread lightly around Combs’ situation, which creates a climate where critique is rare. Jackson also emphasized that his executive producer title did not give him authority over the documentary’s narrative.
“There’s no place for me; I didn’t make the docuseries,” he explained. “I brought in the best possible people to create it.”
The rapper continued, explaining that if he had been the one shaping the story of the series, the tone might have shifted toward even more contentious territory.
“No,” he responded when asked if his “agenda” was present in the documentary. “If it was, I would’ve focused on the fact that you’re the only man in jail for transporting male sex workers.”
During the interview, 50 was asked about “critics and cynics” thinking his decision to produce this doc was just based on his own personal feelings toward Diddy. In his response, the rapper mentioned Cassie’s story, seemingly sending a message to those who sympathize with Combs’ children throughout this situation.
“What I say to them is, the one person that I wish was in the doc that would create clarity for people in a different way is Jane Doe. So you could see someone who was willing to do it for money,” he explained. “Do you understand? Cassie came in so early, she’s a baby at 19. Look, the innocent energy that you feel when his kids are walking into the courtroom and you’re sympathetic to them—that’s who Cassie was when she met him. She was a 19-year-old girl like that. So the things that she went through and the influence of finances in everything she wanted for her life and music culture and entertainment is all connected.”
Following the series’ premiere, Diddy’s team pushed back, alleging that Netflix used never-before-seen footage without his consent. A spokesperson for Netflix called those claims “completely false.” The streamer said all material, including footage tied to Diddy’s legal matters, was obtained properly.
While 50’s agenda might not be present in the docuseries, it’s more than alive on social media. The EP took to Instagram on Friday, Dec. 5 to claim Diddy sent him flowers, which he deemed as “gay.”
“What kinda gay s**t is this Diddy send me flowers at club 11 LOL,” he wrote in his caption. “Why all the four play get busy, you know I’m stupid 🤨.”
