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A videographer who worked with Sean "Diddy" Combs has come forward to clarify how 50 Cent and Netflix obtained the shocking footage of the embattled mogul that appears in Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
In a statement Rolling Stone published on Wednesday, December 10, Michael Oberlies, who has filmed various moments of Combs' life since 2019, said the footage in question was given to 50 Cent and director Alexandria Stapleton by a third-party videographer who worked for him in the days leading up to Combs' arrest.
“For over two years we have been working on a project profiling Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs,” Oberlies told the magazine.
“The footage in question was not released by me or anyone authorized to handle Sean Combs’ materials," he continued. "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. 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.”
The footage shows Combs several days before being arrested in New York City in September 2024. In one clip, he demands a new strategy while speaking to his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, and admits he's "losing." Another scene shows him walking around in Harlem and connecting with fans. Immediately afterward, he tells his team that he needs hand sanitizer and a bath after he had “been out in the streets amongst the people.” There are also shots of him crashing out after learning about the lawsuit Dawn Richard filed against him. The cameras were also rolling when Combs called Dirty Money member Kalenna Harper and asked her to release a statement about Richard's lawsuit.
Combs' rep called Sean Combs: The Reckoning a "shameful hit piece" and sent Netflix a cease-and-desist to remove it before it aired. The artist's attorneys said that he “has not hesitated to take legal action against media entities and others who violate his rights, and he will not hesitate to do so against Netflix." Netflix has yet to comply and maintains that the streaming platform got the footage legally.
Oberlies' stand-in videographer has yet to comment on how Netflix obtained his footage.