Sean “Diddy” Combs’ videographer, Michael Oberlies, is speaking out to address how notorious footage of the rapper filmed in New York — including scenes of him speaking with his attorneys ahead of trial — ended up in Netflix’s latest documentary, “Sean Combs: The Reckoning.”
Oberlies addressed the controversy in an interview with Rolling Stone amid widespread reports and speculation over how such intimate and recent footage of Combs — who is currently in jail following his high-profile sex trafficking trial — surfaced in the project. According to Oberlies, the footage was shared by a third party who did not have permission to distribute it.
“For over two years, we have been diligently compiling a project centered around Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. The footage in question was not authorized by me or anyone within the rightful channels handling his material. It was instead shared through a third party who temporarily filled in for me while I was out of state,” he told the outlet. “This incident is unrelated to any alleged contract issues or payment disputes. The behavior of those involved reflects poorly on the standard of integrity that every storyteller should uphold. Utilizing footage meant for our project to forge an agenda outside our own signifies not just ethical breaches but also a disregard for our essential narrative.”
The Netflix documentary, executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, revisits Combs’ rise to power in hip-hop while examining the legal and cultural reckoning surrounding him. In addition to exploring allegations tied to sex trafficking and abuse, the series controversially asserts that Combs may have played a role in events connected to the murders of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, framing his influence as a factor in the escalating tensions of the era.
After the series debuted, Combs’ team sharply condemned the production, branding it a “shameful hit piece.” They reiterated that the footage was never authorized for public release and emphasized Combs’ long-standing efforts to carefully document and control his own narrative, arguing that Netflix’s use of the material was improper and unlawful.
Netflix has pushed back against those claims, standing by the documentary and its sourcing.
“It came to us, we obtained the footage legally, and have the necessary rights,” director Alexandria Stapleton told Netflix’s Tudum. “We moved heaven and earth to keep the filmmaker’s identity confidential. One thing about Sean Combs is that he’s always filming himself, and it’s been an obsession throughout the decades. We also reached out to Sean Combs’ legal team for an interview and comment multiple times, but did not hear back.”
