Diddy’s 1997 VMAs tribute to Notorious B.I.G. resurfaces after Netflix documentary: ‘Dancing like a man who got away with murder’
Ever since Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Netflix documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning dropped last week, conspiracy theories have been running wild. One of the most shocking claims circulating online is that Diddy allegedly played a role in the death of his friend and rapper The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie, and supposedly made him pay for his own funeral. Amid the swirling speculation, Diddy’s tribute video for Biggie, who tragically passed away at just 24, has gone viral, and fans are now watching it with a whole new perspective.
New documentary revives claims linking Diddy to Biggie’s death
The four-part docuseries produced by 50 Cent re-examines the legacy of Sean Combs and doesn’t shy away from the darkest allegations around his career. In the second episode, former associates and ex-Bad Boy Records insiders, including co-founder Kirk Burrowes and others, take viewers behind the scenes, implicating Combs in the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Burrowes claims Combs pushed Biggie to go to Los Angeles despite danger, allegedly setting the stage for the fatal 1997 shooting.
Netflix documentary alleges Diddy set the stage for Biggie’s death | Credit: X/@MUSICANDBUILDS
The documentary also revives long-standing claims that Combs treated Biggie’s funeral as a business transaction, reportedly charging the late rapper’s estate for memorial costs. Further accusations go beyond the murders, with accounts of financial exploitation of artists, coercion, violent intimidation (including a story of Combs brandishing a baseball bat in the office), and a culture of manipulation and control.
Diddy’s 1997 VMAs tribute to Biggie resurfaces
During the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, which took place 6 months after Biggie’s death, Diddy delivered one of his most emotional performances, dedicating I’ll Be Missing You to The Notorious B.I.G. alongside Faith Evans, 112 and Sting. For nearly three decades, the tribute has been remembered as a heartfelt moment. But with the release of The Reckoning, the clip is being viewed through a very different lens.
During the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, Diddy delivered one of his most emotional performances, dedicating I’ll Be Missing You to The Notorious B.I.G. alongside Faith Evans, 112 and Sting. For nearly three decades, the tribute has been remembered as a heartfelt moment. But with the release of The Reckoning, the clip is being viewed through a very different lens.
The performance has gone viral on X, where users are reacting with shock and suspicion. Some claim the footage now looks unsettling, with one writing, “He was dancing like a man who got away with murder.” Another added, “His interpretive dance of ‘I just murdered my client and now I’m going to profit off his memory’ is wild.”
Others called for the case to be reopened, with one user posting, “Reopen the P. Diddy case. He deserves more than 50 months.” Another wrote, “I loved this song, but after Episode 1 of the documentary, I don’t know how to feel. He needs to be jailed forever.”
Diddy is currently behind bars. In October 2025, he was sentenced to 50 months (4 years and 2 months) in federal prison after a jury found him guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
He was acquitted of the more serious charges — racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking — but the prostitution convictions triggered his incarceration.
