As I have said in previous articles during the trial of the Hip-Hop superstar Sean “Diddy” Combs, his conviction for soliciting prostitution could be seen as a let off considering his abusive treatment of women over a long period of time.
So, you would think that no matter how aggrieved Combs was with the new Netflix documentary about his behaviour he would lay low and wait for his release that with good behaviour would be no later than 2028.
But no, his lawyers have hit back saying that “The Reckoning” is “a shameful hit piece” that “relied on stolen footage” to show him in a bad light. Not only that but they accuse the producer of the doc, “50 cent” of being a “long time adversary with a personal vendetta.” Netflix denies this of course.
So, is Sean Combs: The reckoning any good?
The short answer is yes, very.
It lays out and provides evidence of horrendous allegations such as rape, sex trafficking, physical abusive of many kinds and imprisonment of girlfriends.
We follow his rise from ambitious youngster to powerful music mogul, but behind the veil is the dark side of his fame and wealth with allegations of druggings, manipulation, violence and the infamous freak offs. One complaint is there is a deafening silence about who attended these parties and no approach to any stars for comment.
The four part documentary includes the CCTV footage of Combs kicking and punching his then girlfriend Cassie Ventura which was the beginning of the end for him, although Cassie does not feature here.
The nail in the coffin and the reason for “Diddy’s” lawyers trying to stop this depressing story is the footage that Combs had filmed of himself in the week before his arrest. It seems that Combs was trying to redeem himself in the eyes of the public and if that was the case it has spectacularly backfired. There is a moment when Combs is on the phone to his lawyers and in desperation and malice says that the team needs “somebody that’ll work with us that has dealt in the dirtiest of dirty business.”
Damning evidence indeed. The Reckoning is important because it reminds us of who Combs really is and reveals the once famous music tsar for who he is, just when it seems that he was hoping that the furore was dying down.
“Diddy” may be released relatively soon, but this revealing documentary ensures that any return to public acceptance and redemption for this serial abuser, is as far away as ever.