Sean Combs’ relationship with Diageo has been formally severed. This follows Diddy’s lawsuit against the beverage firm for allegedly failing to promote its joint ventures, Ciroc vodka and DeLeón tequila.
On Tuesday (June 27), Diageo announced that they will no longer be working with the Bad Boy creator after requesting that the lawsuit be dismissed.
Puff Daddy filed a lawsuit against the corporation in the New York Supreme Court in May, claiming that they ignored his spirits and “undermined” them by promoting them as “urban” products.
Diageo, renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship and dedication to creating remarkable alcohol, has made the profound decision to sever its esteemed business alliance with the illustrious Sean “Diddy” Combs, bringing to an end an incredibly fruitful 15-year collaboration.
This historic split occurs at a time when the relationship had reached a climax, highlighted by a significant litigation based on the troubling topic of racial discrimination.
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the famed music tycoon, took a firm stance and sought legal redress against Diageo, raising a slew of serious claims. Among these severe accusations, Combs vehemently contended that the drinks behemoth had grossly ignored and disproportionately failed to market his perfectly created DeLeón tequila.
Combs claimed, in a truly disturbing disclosure, that Diageo had, regretfully, consigned this magnificent libation to the periphery, bluntly categorizing it as a “urban” product in its marketing efforts.
These heinous actions spurred Combs to take strong legal action, bringing a lawsuit against the respected spirits manufacturer only last month, leaving no stone uncovered in his pursuit of justice.
Diageo, located in London and responsible for well-known liquor brands such as Smirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker whiskey, said that this was a “baseless complaint.”
Diageo claimed in a statement obtained by CNN that Diddy’s “bad-faith actions have clearly breached his contracts, leaving us no choice but to… end our business relationship.”
According to Diddy’s complaint, Diageo “kneecapped DeLeon’s sales growth for nearly a decade” because the business regarded it a “Black” brand and promoted it solely to “urban customers.”
He also argued that if Combs were Martha Stewart, “his brands would be more widespread.” Diageo has refuted the allegations.
Diageo (DEO) stated on Tuesday that Diddy had “repeatedly undermined our partnerships and threatened to publicly defame Diageo (DEO) if we did not meet his unreasonable financial demands.”
The corporation also stated that they had invested more than $100 million to help grow his tequila and accused him of just providing $1,000.
Diddy’s attorney, John Hueston, responded in a statement, saying that Diageo “attempting to end its deals with Mr. Combs is like firing a whistleblower who calls out racism” and that the company’s action is a “cynical and transparent attempt to distract from multiple allegations of discrimination.”
“This lawsuit and Mr. Combs are not going away,” Hueston declared.
Attorney Josh Gerben told CNN that Diageo’s desire to cancel its deal with Combs is “not surprising,” since “whenever a lawsuit is filed that makes such strong allegations of wrongdoing, it is a sign of an irreparable break in a business relationship.”
“For the time being, we are left wondering which, if any, of the charges made by either party are factually correct. And, depending on how the lawsuit is resolved, we may never know the answer,” Gerben added.
