Greta Gerwig managed to talk Jimmy Page and Robert Plant into letting her use "Stairway to Heaven" in the trailer for The Magician's Nephew, but many filmmakers of the past weren't so fortunate

Led Zeppelin in 1971, before they began approximately 50 years of turning down requests to use "Stairway" onscreen.

The trailer for Greta Gerwig’s long-awaited Netflix movie Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew dropped earlier this week. Narnia fans were delighted to catch their first glimpse of child actors David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell as the characters Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, along with a peek of author C.S. Lewis’ mythical land and its magical inhabitants. But classic rock fans were barely able to process any of that once “Stairway to Heaven” began playing.

Simply put, “Stairway to Heaven” is one of the most difficult works in music history to license for on-screen use. There have been several notable attempts over the years, but Jimmy Page and Robert Plant control their own publishing, and they hold onto this particular song quite tight for more than 50 years.

In order to secure the rights for the trailer, Gerwig had to appeal directly to them. “I talked to them about a lot of the themes of the film,” Gerwig told Stephen Colbert at the New York premiere of the movie. “They saw the heart and the story and the drama in it…. It’s an epic song. It’s about the two paths of good and evil…. It is a spiritual quest and a spiritual journey. So to me, this was a song that made sense to introduce the film to the world.”

It’s unclear exactly why Page and Plant changed their tune after all these years of resistance. It’s possible they were genuinely wowed by Gerwig’s passion and vision for this project. It’s possible their views have softened now that Page is 82, Plant is 78, and they’ve proven their point about the uniqueness of “Stairway.” It’s possible they realized that many young people now learn about old music primarily through hit movies and TV shows, and saw this as a golden opportunity to create new fans. It’s possible they just love classic British fantasy novels (they did, after all, write several songs inspired by the work of Lewis’ friend and peer J.R.R. Tolkien back in the day). And it’s possible they were offered a massive pot of money they were simply unable to refuse.

This must be a bittersweet moment for all the television showrunners and feature film directors who have tried and failed over the years to get their hands on “Stairway to Heaven.” Here are five of the most memorable denials.

Midway through Wayne’s World, the title character wanders into a guitar store alongside girlfriend Cassandra, and comes across a 1964 white Fender Stratocaster that he dreams of owning one day. He removes it from a display case and plays a few notes of a song before a long-haired employe physically stops him and points to a sign on the wall that reads “No Stairway to Heaven.” “No Stairway,” Wayne says. “Denied.”

When the movie originally hit theaters in 1992, Mike Myers actually played the opening notes of the song in that scene. But when Zeppelin blocked them from using even that tiny snippet of the song for broadcast, video, or foreign releases, they dubbed in some generic hard rock chords that don’t bear even a faint resemblance to “Stairway to Heaven.” For a generation of children only faintly aware of Led Zeppelin, but intimately aware of every second of Wayne’s World thanks to countless repeat viewings, this was extraordinarily confusing.

At the start of the classic season seven Simpsons episode “Bart Sells His Soul,” Bart Simpson passes out hymns to the congregants of the First Church of Springfield as they wander in for services. “Please rise for your opening hymn,” says Reverend Lovejoy. “‘In The Garden of Eden’ by I. Ron Butterfly.” The elderly organist then breaks into the 1968 psychedelic classic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” which stretches out to 17 minutes.

Like the best jokes, there’s a lot of truth in this amazing segment. First off, Iron Butterfly did indeed originally title their song “In The Garden of Eden,” but they were so drunk when they first worked it out that the words came out as “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” And yes, the original version is actually slightly over 17 minutes long.

It’s one of the greatest musical jokes in Simpsons history, but it was originally supposed to be quite different since they wanted to use “Stairway to Heaven” instead. When they were denied, they turned to Iron Butterfly, who were much more amenable. “‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ by ‘I. Ron Butterfly’ ended up being so much funnier,” longtime Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein recently shared on X. “Sometimes budget concerns lead to extra creativity! Embrace that ethos.”

Cameron Crowe has been tight with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for decades, going all the way back to his days as a teenaged reporter at Rolling Stone. He even wrote their first cover story for the magazine. But when he turned that period of his life into the 2000 film Almost Famous, the band refused to let him use “Stairway to Heaven,” even though he’d already shot an extraordinary scene where William Miller (Patrick Fugit) plays the song to his mother (Frances McDormand) so she’ll understand the majesty of the rock music he loves so much. She patiently listens to the entire song, and then simply shrugs her shoulders. “What am I supposed to say?” she asks. “They sound like nice kids. Is it meant to elevate humanity? Sure. Let’s elevate humanity after we sell you drugs and sex.”

Crowe showed the scene to Page and Plant and then took them to a wine bar to talk it over. “They said, ‘Well, “Stairway to Heaven,” we gotta say no to, ’cause it’s just too much. We just don’t do anything with “Stairway to Heaven,'” Crowe recalled to Rolling Stone in 2020. “We’re like, ‘Whomp, whomp, whomp.’ And Page goes, ‘But I would like to give you an extra song that’s more of an acoustic busking vibe. We’ll give that to you free.’ He replaced ‘Stairway to Heaven’ with ‘Bron-Yr-Aur.’ He gave that to us for free, just to have that texture in the movie, which was amazing. And we ran through the streets afterward. The rest of that meeting was spent talking about how much we all loved Jeff Buckley. Officially the coolest night ever, or the un-coolest night ever. I don’t know. That was a huge kind of buoy to swim to, because without Led Zeppelin, it’s just not the same movie.”

On the very last episode of Stranger Things, a bomb is rigged to the gates of the Upside Down, triggered by a vinyl record spinning to the very end. This was a unique challenge for music supervisor Nora Felder since she had to find an famous album with an LP side that began and finished with iconic songs and could serve as the soundtrack to the climax of the series.

“And I’m not going to say Led Zeppelin didn’t come up,” she told Variety. “I tried Led Zeppelin, but it didn’t work because I was thinking ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and it wasn’t a first [song on album side] and a last situation. And I thought maybe Pink Floyd with The Wall, but I can’t remember if the right song was an ending or not. I don’t know how many times I went through this: One song would work and the other one wouldn’t.”

She ultimately settled on Prince’s Purple Rain because the second side begins with “When Doves Cry” and ends with the title track. (In this case, unlike the previous ones, this wasn’t a a situation where Zeppelin actually denied the rights to the song. But it’s worth noting that Zeppelin IV could have worked, since the first side begins with “Black Dog” and ends with “Stairway to Heaven.” That’s a pretty great LP side. If a hardcore Stranger Things aficionado has time on their hands, we’d enjoy a fan edit of the final sequence using those songs.)

It’s deeply unfortunate that more Americans aren’t aware of SCTV. The Canadian sketch comedy show not only introduced the world to John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Harold Ramis, and Martin Short, but it was genuinely hilarious. For proof, check out this mock commercial for a record featuring 30 different covers of “Stairway to Heaven” by Al Stewart, REO Speedwagon, Devo, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Luciano Pavarotti, Barry White, Dolly Parton, and Slim Whitman, among others. (Many years later, Dolly Parton actually did cover the song.)

The sketch features note-perfect imitations of many of these singers, and they even play the master recording of the song, claiming it’s the work of impressionist Rich Little. They somehow got away with this on Canadian television, but when it came time for the DVD release, this sketch was excised. Thankfully, it lives forever in the world of YouTube, at least until Page and Plant file a takedown notice. Enjoy it while you can.

Last summer, Ozzy Osbourne played his final concert, a supersized stadium show to 44,000 fans in his hometown of Birmingham, England with a stacked lineup that rivaled only his own Ozzfest festivals. Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Mastodon, and supergroups arranged by Tom Morello that included Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar, and estranged members of Osbourne’s solo bands performed his hits.

The 10-hour event, dubbed Back to the Beginning, ended with Osbourne singing a handful of his solo hits and a reunion of Osbourne with Black Sabbath’s founding members. It made for an emotional and stunning farewell for the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness, who had been suffering from multiple health setbacks and died 17 days later.

The event was livestreamed and proceeds from ticket sales to the concert and stream went to charity. Now footage from the concert is coming out as the two-and-a-half–hour Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning concert film featuring performances by every artist who performed that day. Osbourne’s family is hosting a “purple carpet” world premiere of the film at Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre on Wednesday. (Half of the proceeds from ticket sales to the premiere will benefit homeless charities.) The film will then open in movie theaters around the world on Oct. 28.

Osbourne’s wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, has spent the last year grieving the loss of her best friend. “It’s been very, very tough,” she tells Rolling Stone. “But you know what? I had 46 years of marriage with an amazing guy, so I was blessed.”

She has yet to watch the two documentaries she and Ozzy participated in, in the months prior to his death: Paramount+’s Ozzy: No Escape from Now and the BBC’s Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home. “I can’t,” she says, “I’m just not ready mentally.” But she has watched Back to the Beginning, which filmmaker Ben Wainwright-Pearce (Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour) directed and mixed in 5.1 surround sound.

In a rare interview about Ozzy ahead of the film’s release, Sharon tells Rolling Stone how Ozzy saw the whole day as a great achievement. “It’s just something that will stand the test of time,” she says. “It was groundbreaking for what it was. Like everything with Ozzy, he’s the first.”

How have you been holding up in the past year?It’s been very, very tough. It’s something in life that everyone has to go through, grief, but I’ve had a lot of other things going on — not just grief — but things that have come out about bad advice being handled by people that were not what I thought. It’s amazing that when somebody passes, you see all the bad things that were going on around that person. I’m in a lot of litigation right now with a lot of businesspeople, and it’s just ugly. Ugly.

This film has been in the works for months. How has the process been for you?It was very hard to watch a lot of this film. I had to, but it was very, very hard.

It’s bittersweet. It’s amazing. Everything about the show was amazing and just a joyous occasion and one that will go down in music history. I’m proud of that and that it was for my husband, and I’m so thankful to everyone that took part in it, for their time, their effort, their giving.

The most precious thing we all have is time, and I keep telling my children this. For people to give up days of their lives for us for free, for charity is an amazing thing. Then to see where that money went and what it meant to so many different people, it’s all just overwhelming, but in a great, positive way.

What did it take to get Ozzy to that show?He was in hospital in America before he left. We moved back to England, and we had a whole new team of doctors. His new doctors didn’t want to take doctor’s notes from America. They wanted to make their own assessment on him. He was in hospital for a week in England.

After he came out of hospital, they asked for a meeting, and they came to our house. We had six different doctors and, like, a quarterback, because there were all of these specialists for the heart, for Parkinson’s, for his lungs, because of all the different things that were wrong with him.

They advised us not to do the show. They said it would kill him. We were all together and Ozzy said, “It’s not an option. It’s what I want.” He said, “I know I’m dying. If I miss a few months of my life, I want to go this way. This is what I want.” It was his wishes and we went through it. He said to me, “Another six months, what’s it going to do for me?”

For him to make that decision and perform must have been emotional.He was very, very emotional. But you know what? It was beautiful too. It was amazing. How lucky was he to go out that way? I say he went out like a Viking. It was the way he wanted.

Ozzy always used to say, “I’m one lucky motherfucker. Who else has had my life? I got everything I dreamed about.” He had no regrets about anything. He knew what his destiny was. He chose it.

He sounded good at the concert, too.We’re talking about a guy that had hardly any lungs left. He had emphysema. I don’t know how he did it. But he did it, and it’s what he wanted.

And in that way it’s glorious. It’s not sad. If we all have a chance to pick the way we go out … Do you know what I’m saying? It was a triumph to be surrounded by your friends, your family, your fans that adore you and what you are doing that day. It’s just amazing. It’s not sad. He was blessed to be able to choose the way you die.

What was Ozzy doing in the hours before his performance?He was in his dressing room the whole day watching everybody on the screens in his dressing room, and he just was like a fan. He was a fan of everybody that was there onstage. He was like, “Oh, my God. I can’t believe they’ve just done that number and this and that,” commenting the whole way. He saw everybody. He was just elated with it.

What struck you about the performances when you watched it all again?The love and the respect that was there. It was old friends seeing other friends. It was just amazing for everyone that was there, for all the guys, and everyone. It was just a great day.

Well, it was more than a great day; basically, it was Ozzy’s goodbye, and he knew it was his goodbye. My kids didn’t know. We didn’t tell the children. We didn’t tell anyone. But we knew what was going on. Sabbath didn’t know, nothing. But again, it’s not sad. Look at him, a Viking to the end.

What did it mean to him for that final performance to be with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — the original Black Sabbath bandmates?It had to end with Black Sabbath. That’s where it had begun. He desperately, desperately wanted to play with Bill. No matter what had gone on with Bill, there was never a week that Ozzy didn’t speak to him.

I think Ozzy was the one that spoke to everyone, because I know Geezer doesn’t like talking on the phone too much, and Tony likes his privacy, and so Ozzy really was the one that spoke to everyone. I’m not saying this to sound bad, it’s just that they’re not the guys that check in weekly with each other. There’s a love, there’s always that invisible thread that holds them all together, but Ozzy was the chatty one.

There was a handful of guys that he would talk to regularly … Jonathan [Davis] from Korn and Slash and Zakk [Wylde], absolutely weekly, always. Tony, too. He would text Tony all the time. They would send each other silly things from online shit, and they’d giggle about it.

Watching Black Sabbath’s set that day, you could see the camaraderie between the four of them.They don’t need to say anything to each other. They just look at each other and know.

What did he say after he performed?He just kept saying, “I did it. I did it.” The next 17 days, he was so, so happy. He was just elated. He just couldn’t believe how everybody turned out for him. It was glorious to see how happy he was, because he’d been so depressed, so down. Last night, I read a letter from a fan who was at the show, and this fan said, “I saw a young man trapped in an old man’s body.” That’s so true.

How did you feel when you saw the final cut, in 5.1 surround sound?I was in awe of it all. In awe. Did it really happen? Am I going to fucking wake up in a minute? It was so immense, the whole thing. But as I keep saying, gloriously so.

I feel that I never, ever thank these guys enough for making it a reality: Every single person, every crew member, the caterers, the crew, the truck drivers, everybody was just fucking awesome. The musicians, come on, look who was there: Sammy Hagar, Steven Tyler, just the greatest guys that are good, good guys, everyone. It was great to see [former Ozzy band members] Jake E. Lee, Rudy [Sarzo]. It was just unbelievable.

How involved were you in which performances made the cut?Everybody that performed is seen on the film. Everybody. It’s so hard to say, “I’m not going to put them in and them in.” No, because every single person helped make money for charity that day and was there out of love for my husband and Sabbath. So no, I couldn’t do that. But of course, we couldn’t show the whole day [since] it’s 10 hours.

Which tribute performances impressed you?Oh my God, there so many great, great performances. It was just overwhelming. Even down to when the drummers were up there, Travis [Barker] and Chad [Smith] and Danny [Carey]. Everything was just great that day. Without Tom Morello, without [Live Nation promoter] Andy Copping, it would never have happened.

Tom Morello was an absolute saint and he is incredible. His sense of music and of what’s right and what’s not right, he’s just an incredible person. He needs a sainthood. He is the saint of metal. He’s so wise and knows what he’s talking about on so many different levels.

Andy Copping, who has been in our lives forever too, from Live Nation, he is just an incredible music man. There’s not one band on that show that wasn’t a friend of Andy’s. Even though he works for Live Nation, a huge corporation, everybody adores Andy Copping. He’s one of the most famous promoters in the world. He’s just the best.

They put together a great lineup. I was impressed with each new band added.We really, really wanted Megadeth. There was no time, we couldn’t fit everybody in on one day. There were so many bands that were due to play that we just couldn’t because there was not enough time.

The artists who did perform seem almost like a “This is your life” moment for Ozzy.Exactly, and it was for a great cause.

When you watched the film, did it feel like Ozzy was still with you?He ain’t left me for a minute. I go to sleep wearing his T-shirts. I wake up wearing his glasses. I’m surrounded by him always. That’s why there’s nothing to be sad. I was blessed to have him in my life, and nothing is forever. It’ll be my time soon, and it’s the circle. That’s what happens with everyone. It was just my time to lose the love of my life, but you go on.

But look at what I had, what I still have. Look at what he left everyone, a great body of work, that fucking smile of his. I always say you didn’t have to like Ozzy’s music to like Ozzy. You just liked him. Look at the amount of musicians that he has worked with; there’s three guys that never liked him, and that’s a fucking great record to have. When you think of everybody’s life who he touched as a musician, and only three of them didn’t like him, it’s like, fucking hell, when I go, there’s going to be fucking thousands. But three guys? I can fucking live with that.

What would Ozzy say if he saw this film?He would say, “How lucky am I?” He goes, “I’m one lucky son of a bitch.” And he knew it. He never took anything for granted, ever.

He’d say, “Look at me. Look at my life. Look at my family that I have, my friends that I have, my fans. I have nothing to complain about. Not one fucking thing.” Even when he was in agony with his health, his last six years, there was so much pain in his body. He suffered greatly. But he was still like, “Hey, I can’t fucking complain. This is it.”

I said to him, “If you could do it all again, if you could have not done the drugs and the drink, would you?” He goes, “Fuck it. I loved it.”

Michael Mosbach, the longtime security chief and motorcycle riding partner of late Rush drummer Neil Peart, has died of glioblastoma, the same form of brain cancer that killed Peart in 2020.

Known to Rush fans as “Praetorian,” Mosbach joined the band’s circle in the early 2000s and became a trusted friend to Peart, accompanying him on motorcycle trips between tour stops. His relationship with the drummer extended well beyond their professional bond, with the pair sharing years of travel and conversations on the road, some of which found their way into Peart's books and essays.

After Peart’s death, Mosbach helped carry on his friend’s legacy through the Bubba Bash, a benefit concert launched in 2023 to raise money for glioblastoma research at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. The event brings together musicians to perform in tribute to Peart, whose nickname inspired its name.

RUSH confirmed Mosbach’s death in a statement shared with fans.

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“As many Rush fans know, Michael Mosbach was Neil’s longtime security and riding partner on tour for decades. Through thick and thin, he was always there for Neil, and for that we are eternally grateful.

We are saddened to now share that he has passed after his own cancer battle.

Our sincere condolences to his family & friends, and our greater Rush family that worked with him over the years. RIP Michael”

The news also prompted tributes from members of the Rush community, including RushCon, which remembered Mosbach for his loyalty, generosity and continued work honouring Peart through the annual benefit.

Peart died on January 7, 2020, after a private battle with glioblastoma. He was 67.

Britney Spears during “Spankin New Music Week” on MTV’s “TRL,” Nov. 6, 2001

Two years ago, Britney Spears declared she would “never return to the music industry,” and so far she’s stuck to her guns. She even started her year selling off the rights to her music catalog to independent music publisher Primary Wave for an unspecified amount. But anyone hungry for new music from the pop icon can feast on the crumbs of “She’ll Never Be Me,” a newly released song originally written and recorded in 2001 with co-writer Justin Timberlake.

Spears originally recorded “She’ll Never Be Me” for her third studio album, Britney, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, but the track was left unfinished and ultimately scrapped from the record to prioritize other songs. The record, produced by Alex Greggs, or Riprock ‘n’ Alex G, is funky, erratic, and distinctly 2001 in the sense that it was clearly created in a post-“Oops! … I Did It Again” pop world.

In 2022, Greggs detailed the backstory of the song on The Original Doll podcast. “The song didn’t go on the album not because the label didn’t like it. There was just way better stuff to go with,” he said. Britney‘s big hit was “I’m a Slave 4 U,” though the album also featured classics like “Overprotected,” “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” and “Lonely.” The deep cut “What It’s Like to Be Me” was also written (and co-produced) by Timberlake.

Timberlake performed background vocals for “She’ll Never Be Me,” which builds around their stacked vocals. “Sometimes people don’t hear Justin’s voice until I tell them. I said, ‘You don’t hear that Justin’s in the back?’” Greggs said. “They blend in there very well together. It’s kind of a shame that they never really got to do more. It would have been cool to have that kind of sweetheart duet.” At the time, ’NSync still had some gas in the tank. “It wasn’t the right time,” Greggs said. “But if they continued to be together, I’m sure it would have happened and it would have been a really cool thing.”

Spears detailed the dissolution of her relationship with Timberlake in her 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me. She wrote that the breakup left her “devastated,” and said she thought about leaving her music career behind altogether. The couple were together from 1999 until 2002. The actual catalyst that led to Spears stepping away from the music industry had nothing to do with Timberlake, however.

In 2021, Spears was released from a 14-year conservatorship under which multiple sectors of her life — from her finances to her career — were out of her control. Following the end of the court-supervised arrangement, the pop star said, “Not doing my music anymore is my way of saying ‘Fuck You,’ in a sense when it only actually benefits my family by ignoring my real work.”

The 25th anniversary edition of Britney will be released on Nov. 6 with five additional songs including “She’ll Never Be Me.”

The 2027 Grammys’ Album of the Year category will once again be stacked with a handful of top contenders. But one artist in particular leads the pack: Olivia Rodrigo. The singer-songwriter could finally take home the biggest award of the night for her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. Since her debut in 2021, Rodrigo’s acclaimed albums have both gotten nods in the category, but never won. This may just be her year.

Phoebe Bridgers, Lost WeekendOlivia Dean, The Art of LovingNoah Kahan, The Great DivideElla Langley, DandelionBruno Mars, The RomanticOlivia Rodrigo, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in LoveRosalía, LuxTaylor Swift, The Life of a Showgirl

Olivia Rodrigo, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in LoveOlivia Rodrigo stunned audiences and critics alike with the release of her highly-anticipated You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. The 23-year-old showed an impressive amount of maturity both in her songwriting and sound as she folded in New Wave inspirations. “She has this engagement where people are just listening front to back on repeat,” says John Stein, head of North America Editorial at Spotify. Since the album’s release in June, Rodrigo has been unstoppable, launching her own music festival, Daisy Chain Fields, and kicking off her Unraveled Tour in support of the LP. “She really puts in the work. She tours hard, she’s an incredible songwriter and really hones these tight, no fat albums,” Stein says. “I think that really works in her favor here.”

Olivia Rodrigo, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in LoveRodrigo isn’t new to the Academy. She won Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album for her debut in 2022. Both of her first two albums, Sour and Guts, have also been nominated for AOTY before, but ultimately lost out. “It’s surprising she actually hasn’t won yet because she has these really strong albums that really feel like a moment,” Stein says. “She builds a world around them. That really resonates with voters,” he adds. Now, four years after her first Grammy win at 19, Rodrigo has stepped further into her artistry.

While Rodrigo has a strong chance, she’s also going to have some big competition in the category. It may even turn into a tight race between another Olivia: British singer Olivia Dean. While The Art of Loving was released in September 2025, it has continued to churn out new hits. “It seems like there’s always a new song emerging from this album,” Stein says. “Even though she won Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammys, it feels like the story is still building, which is really rare for an artist right now,” he adds. Part of Dean’s appeal is also the timelessness of her soul-inflected pop, which could resonate with the broad audience that makes up Grammy voters. “There may be some vote splitting there,” Stein adds.

With such a packed year, AOTY could be anyone’s prize. Stein doesn’t rule out Rosalía and her masterful Lux. “It’s completely in its own space. It’s this album that was really an unexpected sonic breakthrough where the audience really came along with this incredible artistic vision, combining all these different sounds and languages in a way that only Rosalía can do,” he says. The distinctive quality of Lux could be just the thing that helps it nab AOTY. “I could see that being maybe a surprise for some, that’d be really cool to see,” Stein says.

Sean “Diddy” Combs was taken from federal prison for medical treatment over the weekend after reportedly suffering a head injury. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.

The 56-year-old music mogul was transported from the Federal Correctional Institution at Fort Dix, New Jersey, early Saturday, Oct. 10, according to TMZ, which cited sources at the prison. The outlet reported that Combs was conscious and speaking when he returned to the facility later that morning. The injury was described as non-life-threatening.

A representative for Combs confirmed that his team was looking into the reports. “We are aware of the reports concerning Sean Combs and are working to confirm the circumstances,” the spokesperson told Variety. “Sean’s health and well-being are our immediate concern, and we appreciate everyone who has reached out.”

Neither the reported cause of the injury nor further details about his treatment have been made public.

The incident comes amid renewed scrutiny of Combs’ conditions behind bars. An NBC News report in September alleged that he had access to contraband electronics, including a cellphone, as well as alcohol and other unauthorized privileges. Following the reports, Combs reportedly faced disciplinary action and lost 41 days of good-conduct credit, pushing his expected release from January to March 2028, according to Variety and The Los Angeles Times.

Combs is serving a 50-month federal sentence after being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in 2025. He was acquitted of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges brought against him. Last week, a judge ordered Combs to pay NBCUniversal $477,700 in legal fees after dismissing his $100 million defamation lawsuit over the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.