The BBC has announced a new documentary set to examine the “cultural powerhouse” Sean “Diddy” Combs, the world that propelled him to stardom and “the system that may have protected him for years.”
“P Diddy: The Rise and Fall” — not the first and unlikely to be the last documentary about Diddy’s dramatic fall from grace — will be fronted by award-winning broadcaster Yinka Bokinni.
As the title suggests, the film — due to broadcast on BBC Three and iPlayer April 28 — will explore Diddy’s decades-long dominance of the cultural sphere, how he became one of hip-hop’s first moguls and shaped the careers of various artists. It will also chronicle his recent downfall.
Combs has been charged with criminal offences of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution and faces an upcoming trial in May. Prosecutors allege he “abused, threatened, and coerced women” and that he created “a criminal enterprise” involving forced labour, kidnapping, arson and bribery. He has strenuously denied all the charges and pleaded not guilty.
In “P Diddy: The Rise and Fall,” Bokinni will looks to explain how Combs made it to the top and why some may have turned a blind eye to along the way. Speaking to some of Combs’ inner circle, and biggest critics, she will find out what they think about him. She’ll also ask why so many are only speaking out now.
“My job is to tell stories — but never did I imagine I’d be telling this one,” said Bokinni. “Investigating the alleged actions of Diddy has forced a spotlight onto the darker side of an industry so many of us dream of belonging to. We sang his songs, bought into the lifestyle, watched the shows and wanted more. This has been an emotional, sometimes difficult experience. And with a trial on the horizon, what happens next will no doubt be gripping — in the most sobering way.”
“P Diddy: The Rise and Fall” is a Proper Content production for BBC Three and iPlayer. It was commissioned for the BBC by Clare Sillery, head of commissioning, documentaries and Nasfim Haque, head of content, BBC Three. Carl Callam is the commissioning editor for the BBC. Executive producers for Proper Content are David DeHaney and Rachel Harvie. Produced and directed by Eddie Hutton-Mills, Amelia Ellis also produces and Bokinni is associate producer.
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