The deep dive documentaries into Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs are rolling in thick and fast ahead of his upcoming trial. Picture: Supplied
A fallen icon often makes for great documentaries.
We’ve seen this done in Hollywood time and time again with “Phoenix Rising”, which saw actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood speaking out on the abuse she suffered while dating Marilyn Manson, and “Surviving R Kelly”, which exposed the Pied Piper of R&B for his historic predatory behaviour with teenage girls.
Let’s not forget about the horrifying deep dive into “Allen v Farrow” and “House of Hammer”, where disturbing facts of Woody Allen and Armie Hammer, respectively, are brought to light.
In some cases, these offerings helped bring about the downfall of giants who felt untouchable.
However, the rise of the #MeToo movement has pushed for accountability and provided voices for victims who have been silenced in the misogynistic showbiz world.
Of course, not every documentary lands the same.
And Investigation Discovery’s two-part special, “The Fall of Diddy”, stokes the flames of controversy surrounding rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, previously referred to as P.Diddy or Puff Daddy, but it won’t be the only one on him.
It is basically a deep dive into Diddy’s past, his hustler mentality and how he rose to prominence.
It features several individuals who crossed paths with Diddy during his formative years and, for some, he evoked sheer terror.
Danyel Smith, the former Editor-in-Chief of “VIBE Magazine”, relayed her love-hate encounters with him. Things turned violent when she refused to share the cover story they were running on him post the photo shoot.
However, because she was thrust into the music world through work, she sometimes had no choice but to hobnob with him.
Of course, to truly get a sense of Diddy, the documentary revisits his childhood, where his mother ruled with an iron fist after the passing of his dad.
His childhood friend Tim Patterson recalled his swag and magnetism from a very young age.
He recalled how Diddy stood out in Harlem.
While a creative genius and celebrated for being so, Diddy’s dark side was known to those close to him.
In relationships, his possessive streak was known to his inner circle.
More recently, the video of the abuse suffered by previous girlfriend Casandra Ventura, aka Cassie, went viral. It was the start of more allegations that followed, which led to his current incarceration for sex trafficking and racketeering charges. His trial date is set for May 5.
In fact, her make-up artist Mylah Morales witnessed one of those physical altercations. She’s one of many who open up about his notoriously violent behaviour and ruthless streak.
During his rise to stardom, Diddy found himself in a litany of legal cases, which he made go away with his money and influence.
His involvement in a club shooting, a stampede at a major celebrity basketball event and beefs with fellow musical bigwigs is brought to light.
There are over 30 voices painting a very troubling picture of Diddy. It includes documented video footage as well as images of him form his younger days.
While he dodged many bullets in the past, his latest legal battle might not be a walk in the park like before.
By the way, JLo’s name comes up in the documentary.
∎ “The Fall of Diddy” is available on DStv Catch Up until February 24.
Rating: 3/5
Another documentary to add to your watchlist:
Diddy: The Making of a Bad Bay
Currently streaming on Showmax, this is a raw, exclusive look at Sean Combs long before he was known as Puff or Diddy.
Featuring never-before-seen footage and stories from those who know him best, it sheds light on his childhood, rise to fame, and recent criminal allegations, challenging viewers to rethink everything they thought they knew about the mogul behind the music – and the mugshot.
He is reportedly suing for $100m (close to R2bn) in damages over the documentary.