Warner Bros. Rejects Diddy’s Bid for Raw ‘Fall of Diddy’ Footage

The legal drama around Sean “Diddy” Combs just got even messier.

As his sex trafficking and racketeering case heats up, Diddy’s legal team is trying to dig into the behind-the-scenes content of The Fall of Diddy docuseries.

Specifically, they want all the raw, unedited interviews from two people featured in the series – his former personal chef and an ex-girlfriend. These two figures spoke about their time around the music mogul and shared serious allegations, including one about sexual assault. Now Warner Bros. is pushing back hard, asking a New York judge to kill that subpoena before it gains any traction.

Diddy’s lawyers made their move back in March, demanding full access to all interview outtakes, notes, journals, and even any payments made to the two individuals. With jury selection for Diddy’s federal trial set to kick off on May 5, they’re clearly hoping to use whatever they find to poke holes in the testimonies if these people end up on the witness stand. But Warner Bros. says no way. In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, who’s overseeing the case, the studio’s legal rep Thomas Sullivan pointed to “reporter’s privilege” – a legal protection designed to shield journalists and media companies from having to reveal unpublished material or confidential sources.

Sullivan didn’t hold back. He wrote that Diddy’s legal team is basically on a fishing expedition, looking for anything that might help discredit the two individuals – identified only as “Individual A” and “Individual B” in court filings. Individual A is the former chef who described Diddy’s behavior toward her and shared some of the troubling rumors she’d heard while working for him. Individual B, the ex-girlfriend, talked about their relationship and detailed an incident she called sexual assault. Warner Bros. argues that trying to get all the raw material from their interviews not only oversteps journalistic boundaries but also wouldn’t even be admissible in court since it’s hearsay.

The legal reasoning is that Diddy hasn’t met the very high bar required to overcome this kind of journalistic protection. Sullivan reminded the judge that federal courts don’t just hand over unpublished materials because someone might find something useful. There has to be a compelling reason, and so far, according to Warner Bros., Diddy hasn’t shown one. “Courts have consistently held that broad subpoenas for journalistic outtakes based on the hope that the unpublished material might prove relevant in some way are insufficient,” Sullivan wrote in his letter.

The fact that there’s no actual federal “shield law” doesn’t mean the courts are lenient. Most states have their own versions, and while there’s no specific law on the books at the national level, past cases and DOJ guidance still give journalists a decent amount of protection. Sullivan’s entire argument boils down to one thing: if Diddy wants to fight these accusations, he’s going to have to do it in the courtroom – not by tearing apart footage from a docuseries.

There’s another twist. These subpoenas aren’t just about the footage. Diddy’s team also wants to know if these two individuals were paid to appear in the documentary. They’re trying to argue potential bias or motive – maybe suggesting that these stories were influenced by financial incentive. Warner Bros. didn’t confirm or deny if payments were made but is still firm on the point that even those details fall under protected newsgathering efforts.

As of now, Judge Subramanian hasn’t made a final decision. He’s given Combs until Thursday to respond to Warner Bros.’ motion to quash the subpoena. That reply will be key in determining whether the studio has to cough up any footage – or if this part of the fight gets shut down completely.

What do you think – should Diddy get access to the raw docuseries interviews, or is Warner Bros. right to hold the line on journalistic privilege?

Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.

Latest posts by Jamie Wells (see all)