A new claim from the Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning is drawing attention for how it portrays the events surrounding The Notorious B.I.G.’s funeral.
In the series, Kirk Burrowes alleges that Sean “Diddy” Combs initially promised to cover the costs of the service, but ultimately pushed the expense onto Biggie’s estate. Burrowes describes the moment in detail, saying, “Sean said, ‘We’re gonna do the biggest funeral for Biggie that New York has ever seen.’” He claims the enthusiasm shifted once the financial reality became clear.
According to him, “We start to put that together, he starts to see the price. He says, ‘We’re gonna do the biggest funeral, but Biggie’s gonna have to pay for this funeral.’” Burrowes further alleged that “He was gonna make the funeral be a recoupable charge to Biggie in death. Sean doing a big show looks good on him. But he’s not gonna tell the world that Biggie was gonna pay for it.”
Following the documentary’s release, Biggie’s estate manager Wayne Barrow stepped forward to challenge the statements presented. Speaking on behalf of Voletta Wallace, he rejected the suggestion that the funeral charges were passed onto the estate. Barrow stated that he was directly involved in planning the service alongside Burrowes and emphasized that the claims about the financial arrangements were inaccurate.
Barrow also addressed another narrative highlighted in the docuseries, one suggesting that the rapper’s contract situation had become strained shortly before his death. There have long been rumors that negotiations were underway between Biggie and Diddy during that time. Barrow countered this by saying the idea was unfounded, adding that Life After Death had already been completed and that no contract renegotiation was happening at the time. Through his statements, Barrow aimed to correct what he views as significant distortions about Biggie’s final days and the management of his legacy.
