Title: P Diddy: The Rise and Fall (2025) Director: Eddie Hutton-Mills Producer(s): Eddie Hutton-Mills • Amelia Ellis Presenter: Yinka Bokinni Genre(s): Documentary Run Time: 59 mins Interviewees: Shayna Marie • Roger Bonds • Gene Deal • Amy Debois • Melvin Coleman • Precious Muir P Diddy: The Rise and Fall is an unsettling documentary by BBC which follows Yinki Bokinni on her mission to explore the rise behind one of the USA’s biggest pioneering hip-hop mogul and cultural force as well as his fall from grace, Sean Combs a.k.a P Diddy, Diddy and Puff Daddy. While the ongoing case of P Diddy battling allegations of racketeering and sex trafficking is disturbing enough as well as previously facing accusations of various acts of violence and sexual misconduct ranging from grooming to rape, Bokinni takes it even further, interviewing individuals who were close and part of Diddy’s inner circle. First interviewee, former model, Precious Muir, paints a vivid picture of P Diddy’s white parties. Recounting the time, she was invited and encouraged to attend Diddy’s parties in exchange for better opportunities for networking. A brief but disturbing account. Obviously Precious knows more but is afraid to speak out due to safety concerns. Amy Debois, former editor of Honey magazine, discusses hip-hop culture and the treatment of women in the industry during the 90s, sharing her own experiences of sexual abuse by powerful individuals and using humor as a coping mechanism. Music producer Melvin Coleman a.k.a Mel Love, tells his harrowing account of being potentially drugged as a teen and later molested by an older employee of Diddy’s while he worked as an intern for Diddy. But the most interesting and ironic part comes when Bokinni speaks to Gene Deal, former Head of Security of Bad Boy Entertainment, Diddy’s music company and Roger Bonds, Diddy’s former bodyguard. Both men recognized the unique chances working with Diddy offered, yet they also saw his dark characteristics. Deal noted Diddy’s decline due to drug use but denied involvement in inappropriate behavior or seeing abuse footage. Bonds admired Diddy for hiring him despite his record until he witnessed the abuse of Diddy’s ex, Cassie Ventura. The documentary gives off an urban-centric vibe coupled with the seriousness of its rotten underbelly. In a way it feels like a hip-hop music video but it’s a film. Old footage and images from the 90s to the early 2000s bring authenticity to a documentary about hip-hop, also emphasizing a time when hip-hop culture was at its peak. The film falls short where interviewees refuse to go into details about their experiences. Although participants were willing, they were still recovering from the damage they received many years ago at the hands of Diddy and Bad Boy Entertainment as well as the shock some had when hearing about the allegations against him. On the other hand, we discover the drive behind Diddy, his goals, his ambitions and the type of man he is behind the cameras. I’d say the film had a lot of aesthetic appeal but not so much information to reel in a viewer, partly because the Diddy case is ongoing. It leaves you in an unsatisfied position.