A former sex worker who appeared in Netflix’s Sean Combs: The Reckoning has filed a lawsuit against the streamer and executive producer 50 Cent, claiming the docuseries misrepresented his story and damaged his credibility.
Clayton Howard is seeking at least $20 million in damages, alleging the project distorted his testimony about Cassie Ventura, Diddy’s former girlfriend. Howard says the series portrayed Ventura as a victim while leaving out his claims that she was an active participant in trafficking him during his years with Diddy.
In court documents, Howard argued that his interview was altered in a way that changed the meaning of his account.
“Defendants deliberately edited, distorted and misrepresented plaintiff’s account to portray Cassie Ventura as a victim, while omitting and suppressing plaintiff’s testimony that he was sex trafficked by Ventura,” the lawsuit states.
Howard added that his role as a cooperating witness in the federal case against Diddy makes accuracy especially critical. “Any distortion or misrepresentation of his testimony undermines not only his personal credibility but also the integrity of federal prosecutorial efforts,” the filing reads.
The lawsuit also claims the series served 50 Cent’s personal and business interests.
“This calculated misrepresentation was done in furtherance of defendant Curtis Jackson’s vendetta against Sean Combs and to create a commercially profitable narrative,” the complaint alleges.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning debuted on Netflix in December and quickly became a hit, surpassing 50 million views. Howard is requesting financial damages and an updated disclaimer telling viewers that the accounts shown were edited and may not reflect complete testimony.