Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother, Janice Combs, is fighting back against Netflix after the release of Sean Combs: The Reckoning, a four-part docuseries that paints a dark picture of the hip-hop mogul’s past.
In a fiery public statement, the 85-year-old matriarch called out what she described as “blatant inaccuracies” and “fabricated stories” in the Netflix series, which debuted December 2. The documentary explores Diddy’s decades-long career and the string of sexual assault and trafficking allegations that have rocked his empire.
“I’m issuing this statement to correct the falsehoods,” Janice said. “The documentary portrays me as an abusive parent. This couldn’t be further from the truth.”
She added that she worked multiple jobs as a single mother raising Diddy and his sister in Harlem after her husband’s murder. “I raised my son with love and hard work, not abuse,” she said.
Janice specifically refuted an interview in the series with Tim Patterson, a childhood acquaintance who claimed she physically abused her son, and another allegation from former Bad Boy Records executive Kirk Burrowes—who alleged that Diddy once slapped his mother after the 1991 City College stampede tragedy.
Janice says both stories are “completely false.”
“For Mr. Burrowes to exploit a tragedy and create lies to boost his failed attempts to claim ownership of Bad Boy Records is deeply offensive,” she said.
Janice, who became a courtroom fixture during her son’s 2025 federal sex trafficking and RICO trial, demanded that Netflix issue a public retraction and remove the disputed footage. She emphasized that Diddy, despite his legal troubles, has always been “an attentive son” who ensures her well-being and medical care.
Her statement follows weeks of mounting controversy around the Netflix docuseries. Just before its release, Diddy’s legal team demanded the project be pulled from the platform, claiming that parts of the footage were “stolen” and that the film’s creative control was allegedly handed to his longtime rival Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Netflix swiftly denied those accusations, calling them “baseless.”
On Thursday, more claims in the documentary were challenged—this time by Wayne Barrow, co-manager of the Notorious B.I.G. estate. He stated that Bad Boy Records—not the Wallace family—paid for Biggie’s funeral, refuting another dramatic detail presented in The Reckoning.
While Netflix stands by the documentary and director Alex Stapleton has declined to say how she obtained the controversial footage, the backlash shows no signs of slowing down.
With Diddy’s legal saga still unfolding and his mother now joining the fight, The Reckoning may live up to its name—just not the way Netflix intended.
