Rapper and producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and director Alex Stapleton appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” with co-anchor Robin Roberts to discuss their upcoming Netflix docuseries, “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” revealing new details about its content and clarifying its controversial motivation.
Unseen Footage Before the Arrest
Jackson and Stapleton confirmed that the documentary includes never-before-seen footage of Sean “Diddy” Combs in the days leading up to his arrest last September. The clip obtained exclusively by Netflix shows Combs speaking with his attorneys about his legal strategy, visibly frustrated with his defense team’s coordination.
Combs is heard saying: “I’m going to get off the phone right now and I am going to let you professionals look at the situation and come back to me with a solution… you are not working together the right way, we’re losing.”
Jackson admitted he was “surprising that he actually filmed it.” Stapleton added that it was “very interesting to watch a man known for his brand presence—he has a real knack for marketing—and how he was taking that into account in how he was coming off to the public.”
Addressing the ‘Beef’ and Victims
Addressing critics who claim the documentary is motivated by 50 Cent’s long-standing personal tension with Combs rather than a desire to elevate victims’ voices, Jackson downplayed the seriousness of their past rivalry.
Jackson suggested his so-called “pre-existing beef for 20 years is me being uncomfortable with him suggesting he takes me shopping. I looked at it like I was a tester—like ‘maybe you will come play with me.’”
Stapleton stressed the film’s commitment to objective storytelling: “The show is not completely the perspective of people who didn’t like Sean. We weren’t trying to just get the highlights and salacious details. The real goal was to tell a story, and not everyone needed to have an allegation to be part of this project.”
Regarding victims, Jackson specifically voiced support for singer Cassie Ventura: “I believe she is a victim in all of this. She came in at 18 or 19 at the very beginning, and over time you are conditioned for it.”
Jackson also explained why his commentary is necessary within the hip-hop community.
“If I didn’t say anything, you would interpret it as hip-hop being fine with his behavior. There’s no one else being vocal… those things would allow an entire culture to register as if they were for that behavior,” he stated, indicating his role as a necessary counterbalance to silence.
Finally, when asked about Combs’ potential reaction to the film, Jackson offered a provocative prediction: “Like, wow—this is amazing. I think he is going to say this is the best documentary I’ve seen in a long time… He may feel differently about pieces and bits of it, but he knows the truth. I think he’ll see the truth in it.”
credit: ABC News/“Good Morning America”