50 Cent Responds to Critics Calling Him Petty for Producing Diddy Doc

• 50 Cent expected the documentary to be a hit, even telling the director to prepare an award speech
• The documentary faced criticism for being 'petty', but 50 Cent embraced the label and said it helped reach #1
• The documentary explores why many in hip-hop stayed silent about Diddy's behavior for so long

Netflix has found an unexpected hit in Sean Combs: The Reckoning, the four-part documentary digging into the rise and fall of Sean “Diddy” Combs. The project, executive-produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and directed by Alexandria Stapleton, has climbed straight to the top of Netflix’s global charts. While the series’ success has sparked major conversation online, 50 Cent seems unfazed by both the praise and the backlash. In fact, he says he always knew the documentary would blow up.

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In a recent interview, 50 explained that he predicted the show’s momentum long before it premiered. He even told Stapleton to get her award speech ready because he could “feel” the impact the project would have. Still, he admits he didn’t expect it to outperform giant franchises like Stranger Things. For Stapleton, the reaction has been overwhelming. She laughed while recalling 50’s confidence, admitting she didn’t think things would “get this crazy,” but she credits him as the project’s biggest champion from the start.

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As the series gained traction, so did criticism—mostly from fans who accused 50 Cent of producing the documentary out of spite due to his long, public feud with Diddy. Some labeled him “petty,” insisting the documentary was just another way to take shots at his rival. Instead of brushing off the accusations, 50 leaned into them. With a smirk, he said he would “accept” and “wear” the label of pettiness, joking that his social-media antics have made him comfortable with that reputation. But he pushed back at the idea that the documentary is a “hit piece,” explaining that Diddy’s camp made that claim before they even saw the finished product. Once viewers watched the series, 50 noted, opinions quickly changed—helping the documentary reach No. 1.

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A major topic in the interview was why so many people in hip-hop stayed silent about Combs for so long. According to 50, the culture has often encouraged people to “mind their business,” even when something is clearly wrong. He believes that without him speaking up, most people would assume the industry condones the troubling behavior described in the documentary. Stapleton added that many insiders were afraid to talk during production, especially since the team started filming before Diddy’s 2024 indictment. She said fear and paranoia shaped many of the early conversations, with some potential participants worried their cooperation would get back to Combs.

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As for why certain artists didn’t appear in the documentary, Stapleton said fans shouldn’t assume they weren’t asked. In many cases, people declined or never responded. She explained that the trust shown by those who did participate—former Bad Boy artists, employees, associates, and alleged victims—was largely built through long, private conversations. Much of what they shared didn’t even make the final cut because the team only had four hours to tell the story.

Despite the intense public reaction, 50 Cent seems to be standing firm. He expected the impact, he welcomes the controversy, and he appears to view the conversation itself as proof that the documentary is doing exactly what it set out to do. And as The Reckoning continues dominating Netflix’s charts, the debate surrounding it shows no signs of slowing down.

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