Janice Combs, the mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs, has publicly denounced Netflix's new docuseries, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, released on December 2, 2025, calling it inaccurate and harmful to her family’s reputation. In a statement released to Deadline, Janice Combs asserted that the documentary contains "lies" about her son's upbringing, personal life, and her own image. She alleges that these inaccuracies are deliberately designed to mislead viewers and further damage their reputation.
Specifically, Janice Combs refutes claims of abusive parenting and an incident where Sean Combs allegedly slapped her. The latter allegation stems from comments made by Kirk Burrowes, a co-founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, who stated that Sean Combs struck his mother after the tragic City College event on December 28, 1991, where nine people died. Janice Combs vehemently denies this, calling the allegation "inaccurate and patently false" and referencing the event as a "very sad day for all of us". She claims Burrowes is using the tragedy to further his attempts to gain Bad Boy Records.
She also addressed comments made by Tim Patterson, described as an alleged childhood friend of Sean Combs, dismissing his portrayal of their relationship as "not truthful and salacious". She countered these claims by describing Sean as "a respectful and a diligent child and teenager" who had always been "an industrious, goal oriented, over achiever".
Janice Combs insists that her son has always been good to her, ensuring her financial stability and vigilantly managing her medical care. She characterized him as a "dutiful son". She is requesting retractions of the falsehoods and misleading statements presented in Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
Furthermore, Janice Combs believes that Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, who participated in the documentary, is intentionally spreading lies to harm Sean Combs due to their ongoing feud. She criticized Netflix for promoting slanderous content without solid proof. Sean Combs' attorneys issued a cease and desist letter on December 1, calling Reckoning a "hit piece" and alleging that 50 Cent's involvement constitutes "corporate retaliation".
Janice Combs stated that she spent nearly every day in the Manhattan courtroom with her grandchildren during her son's trial, where she was subjected to allegations of drug use, violence, and sex trafficking. She insists the "false" statements in the documentary are exacerbating an already traumatizing situation.
Janice Combs has previously stated that she worked multiple jobs to provide a comfortable upbringing and quality education for her son, raising him with "love and hard work, not abuse".
