Sean Diddy Combs – Source: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty
Diddy has sued Diego over allegations the UK Spirits partner has stunted the growth of Combs Spirits brands behind racist motives.
Last week Sean Combs launched his latest platform Diddy Direct. It’s billed as a one-stop shop for consumers and retailers to find Combs Spirits’ portfolio near them. The announcement is now being followed by a lawsuit against Diageo who reportedly should have been promoting the brands. Per legal docs obtained by BOSSIP Diddy Alleges Diageo’s inclusive and diverse culture is a lie.
“Cloaking itself in the language of diversity and equality is good for Diageo’s business, but it is a lie. While Diageo may conspicuously include images of its Black partners in advertising materials and press releases, its words only provide the illusion of inclusion. As Combs Wines and Sean Combs have experienced firsthand, Diageo, by and through its parent company’s Chief Executive Officer Ivan Menezes, has proven unwilling to treat its Black partners equally— even when explicitly required by contract to do so.”
“Rather than equal treatment, Diageo has treated Mr. Combs and his brands worse than others because he is Black. Diageo has typecasted Ciroc and DeLeon, apparently deciding they are “Black brands” that should be targeted only to “urban” consumers. Diageo’s President of Reserve and New Business, Stephen Rust, directly acknowledged the company’s racist undertones in 2019, telling Mr. Combs that some within Diageo’s leadership resented him for making too much money. He also admitted that Mr. Combs’ race was part of the reason Diageo limited the neighborhoods where the Combs brands were distributed. If Mr. Combs were “Martha Stewart,” Mr. Rust said, things would be different.”
Furthermore, Brother Love claims the brand has even produced lower quantities of his spirits and hidden the brand on its own website. Combs seems to have had enough and wants Diageo ordered to provide the equal treatment that it has contractually promised. According to TMZ, Diddy will reportedly seek billions in damages for the alleged misconduct in a separate lawsuit. Diageo and Diddy have been in business since 2007. Diageo tapped Diddy to help the struggling Ciroc brand and well the rest is history. Hopefully, the two can figure out a peaceful resolution. Diddy seems content with his brands succeeding with or without the proper support from Diageo.
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