Celebrity reporter pens scathing open letter to Netflix over its Sean 'Diddy' Combs docuseries deal with 'hypocrite' and accused 'abuser' 50 Cent

The reporter who went viral after quitting People magazine with a scathing letter is making waves eight years later – this time with an open letter to Netflix over their bid for rapper 50 Cent's docuseries about the sex crimes allegedly perpetrated by Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

Veteran journalist Sara Hammel made headlines in 2016 after quitting the outlet via a public missive that detailed the dark side of life on the red carpet, including being spat on by J-Lo, having a 'personal crisis' at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's Rome wedding, and being sexually assaulted by an unnamed A-lister.

Now, Hammel has written a new open letter to decry the streaming giant's big money bid for the G-Unit Film and Production Studios' series and pointing out that the 'In Da Club' rapper has a checkered past of his own regarding allegations of assault and domestic violence against women.

The strongly worded June 4 letter begins: '50 Cent says you won a bidding war for his documentary about Diddy.

Journalist Sara Hammel (left) has called out Netflix and 50 Cent's (real name Curtis Jackson) 'brazen hypocrisy' after the announced their deal to produce a documentary on accused abuser Diddy 

Netflix acquired the rights to develop a multi-chapter documentary on Sean 'Diddy' Combs  produced by 50 Cent's studio after 'a massive bidding war' last month 

'I have a question: As self-professed practitioners of 'allyship', will you be paying a man who's faced multiple allegations of abuse against women to create a documentary about a man facing multiple allegations of abuse against women?'

The letter, which Hammel also posted on her Substack account, makes reference to her own experience of being sexually assaulted and goes on to list 15 incidences where 50 Cent, 48, was accused of sexual assault, misogynistic behavior or belittling sex abuse survivors.

Diddy, 54, is currently facing multiple lawsuits from a number of different women over his allegedly abusive behavior and is also being investigated by the FBI over alleged sex trafficking – with raids carried out on his homes in LA and Miami in March.

Last month, harrowing surveillance footage showing him brutally beating ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, 37, in 2016 was leaked to CNN.

The clip, which shows the rapper pulling the singer to the floor by her hair before kicking her and dragging her away, forced him into making a public apology to Ventura – despite having previously denied her claims that he physically abused her.

He said in an Instagram statement: 'My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.

'I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now.'

The video, since deleted, was not enough to stop the rising tide of recrimination against the rapper and on June 10, Diddy was forced to return the keys to New York City – a civic honor presented to him in 2023 – under pressure from Mayor Eric Adams.

Hammel, who first went viral with her scathing resignation letter to People magazine in 2016, penned another missive on June 4 decrying Netflix's deal with 50 Cent, who she points out is also 'facing multiple allegations of abuse' 

Hammel makes references to the multiple allegations that have been leveled against the rapper by women, including ex-girlfriend Daphne Joy (right) who accused him of rape, physical abuse, and of being an absent father to their 11-year-old son Sire (pictured with son Sire)

She highlights Jackson's lengthy history of abuse allegations, beginning in 2005 with Shaniqua Tompkins (left), the mother of his eldest child, as well as Lastonia Leviston's (right) case against the rapper after he posted her sex tape in 2015

Ventura's horrific treatment at Diddy's hands will form part of the new docuseries – with news of Netflix's acquisition announced by a jubilant 50 Cent via a now-deleted Instagram post on May 21.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the rapper wrote: 'ok guys we're all making good television mines [sic] just happens to be the best!

'NETFLIX wins the bidding war but if more victims keep coming out … I'm gonna need more episodes.'

But as Hammel pointed out in her letter, 50 Cent – real name Curtis Jackson III – has a lengthy history of abuse allegations of his own, beginning in 2005 when Shaniqua Tompkins, the mother of his eldest child, accused him of violently assaulting her.

Tompkins doubled down on the allegations in 2007, writing in court papers that she 'went along with certain things,' because she 'loved him, but added she became 'fed up' with 'his nonsense' of beat[ing] her and 'messing around' with other women.

In 2013, the rapper was charged with one count of domestic violence and four of vandalism against Daphne Joy, the mother of another of his children.

The then LA District Attorney Mike Feuer said at the time: 'During an argument, Jackson allegedly began destroying property…Allegedly when [Joy] locked herself in her bedroom, Jackson kicked open the bedroom door and kicked her, causing an injury.'

The rapper eventually struck a plea deal over the incident, agreeing to three years' probation and paying $7,100 in restitution and $2,390 in fines.

In 2015, 50 Cent was sued by a woman called Lastonia Leviston after he posted a video showing her having sex with her former boyfriend without gaining her consent – and including cruel commentary of his own where he criticized her body and called her a 's***'.

After a jury found for Leviston and awarded her $7million in damages, the rapper filed for bankruptcy.

The same year, he posted a misogynistic comment under a photo shared on Instagram by another ex-girlfriend called Tatted Up Holly that read: 'This hoe community p***y'.

In response, Holly posted a screenshot of a text conversation between the two where she told him: 'U got way more to lose than me. Let's see how these pics I got of u beating my ass will look.'

50 Cent replied: 'Don't do nothing stupid Holly. Let's calm down.' In a furious note posted alongside the screenshot, she added: 'U are nothin but a manipulating women beater.

'You're a f***ing bully. Puts fear in everybody's heart mistaking it for respect. I treated this man like royalty but all I got in return was a** whippings…

'I'm sorry I will not tolerate a grown a** man putting their hands on me. I was good before you I will good without you @50cent.'

On that occasion, 50 Cent was forced into a groveling apology, writing: 'Public apology: this women [sic] is good person.

'She has been a great friend to me for a year. I enjoy seeing her grow and progress in so many ways in a short period of time.

'I have no interest in seeing her down. She is a winner at heart, so she will always win…'

50 Cent, who has famously feuded with Diddy for years, has publicly relished in the music mogul's downfall, taking to social media to mock him after footage of his violent attack on ex-girlfriend Cassie emerged last month 

After Diddy's apology video in response to the disturbing clip, 50 Cent expressed his skepticism of Diddy trying to navigate through what looks to be a career-ending crisis 

But Hammel has listed 50 Cent's own checkered past involving women, including his public spat with another ex-girlfriend called Tatted Up Holly (left) 

Having listed multiple examples of the rapper's behavior, Hammel concludes her letter by writing: 'What is publicly known about Jackson makes it feel like an odd choice of a producer to handle the most sensitive and traumatic subject matter your viewers will ever see or hear.

'Or is it most important to you to platform those who yell the loudest and have the most Instagram followers?'

Outspoken Hammel previously went viral with her resignation letter to People magazine in which she compared the outlet to obnoxious celebrity publicists and told how she had seen talented colleagues discarded in brutal fashion during her 14 years there.

She wrote: 'I've survived something like eight rounds of layoffs where talented colleagues were b***h-slapped into oblivion and, I hope, will never give their nights, weekends, relationships and sanity again to keep up with an email chain about whether Jennifer Aniston is pregnant at 47 because of those tummy photos and what kind of mom will she be, when really she just had an extra burrito.'

The full letter was also included in her book published the same year called: Red Carpet Regret: Confessions of a cynical celebrity journalist.

Since quitting People magazine, Hammel has published two further books including a 2021 tome called The Strong Ones: How a Band of Civilian Women Made Their Mark on the Army.

Part memoir, the book tells the story of how Hammel and 44 other women volunteered for a controversial study funded by the army in 1995 intended to measure how strong potential female recruits could become.