Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has reflected on his recent vocal criticisms of disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, saying: “It’s really me just saying what I’ve been saying for 10 years.”
The “In Da Club” rapper was an outspoken critic of Combs long before he was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering earlier this year.
Most recently, Jackson mocked Combs on social media over the revelation that law enforcement had seized “more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant” during the arrest.
Speaking to People, Jackson said: “Look, it seems like I’m doing some extremely outrageous things, but I haven’t. It’s really me just saying what I’ve been saying for 10 years.
“Now it’s becoming more full-facing in the news with the Puffy stuff, but away from that, I’m like, ‘Yo, it’s just my perspective because I stayed away from that stuff the entire time, because this is not my style.’”
The new Netflix series will be directed by Alexandria Stapleton, known for her 2023 baseball documentary Reggie and the 2024 piracy doc, How Music Got Free.
In a joint statement to The Independent, Jackson and Stapleton said: “This is a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)
“While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs’ story is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture. We aim to ensure that individual actions do not overshadow the culture’s broader contributions.”
Back in May, Jackson wrote on X/Twitter that Netflix had won “the bidding war” for his Diddy docuseries, adding he would need “more episodes” of the show greenlit by the streaming platform if allegations against Combs continued to emerge.
Since then, Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly running a decades-long “criminal enterprise” that forced women into sex acts.
In an indictment unsealed earlier this month, federal prosecutors allege Combs threatened and abused women “to fulfill his sexual desires” by forcing them to engage in recorded sexual activity, which he referred to as “Freak Offs.”
Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, has denied any allegations of wrongdoing, claiming his client is “an innocent man with nothing to hide.”
He said: “Mr Combs is a fighter, he’s going to fight this to the end.”
The music mogul has also been accused of rape and sexual abuse in at least nine civil lawsuits this past year.
