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Diddy alleges the liquor company he's worked with for years purposely neglected his tequila brand.
On Wednesday, May 31, the multihyphenate entrepreneur's liquor LLC, Combs Wine and Spirits, filed a lawsuit against Diageo for allegedly failing to fulfill its contractual agreements regarding his DeLeon Tequila brand. In the lawsuit, Diddy claimed the UK-based company, who's housed his Ciroc vodka and DeLeon Tequila brand for over a decade, chose not to invest and properly market his tequila while focusing the majority of its resources on other brand like Don Julio and Casamigos. He and his team believe the company's moves were racist.
"Diageo has typecasted Ciroc and DeLeon, apparently deciding they are 'Black brands' that should be targeted only to 'urban' consumers," the lawsuit says according to TMZ.
Diddy's team believes Diageo's misconduct is affecting the brand financially. They include instances where his tequila was out of stock in huge markets in states like California and New York. The media mogul also claimed that an executive from Diageo told him that he could get more support from the company if he was Martha Stewart.
"This is a business dispute, and we are saddened that Mr. Combs has chosen to recast this matter as anything other than that," a rep for Diageo told TMZ. "Our steadfast commitment to diversity within our company and the communities we serve is something we take very seriously. We categorically deny the allegations that have been made and will vigorously defend ourselves in the appropriate forum."
“For more than 15 years, we’ve had a productive and mutually beneficial relationship with Mr. Combs on various business ventures, making significant investments that have resulted in financial success for all involved," the rep continues. "We are disappointed our efforts to resolve this business dispute amicably have been ignored, and that Mr. Combs has chosen to damage a productive and valued partnership. While we respect Mr. Combs as an artist and entrepreneur, his allegations lack merit, and we are confident the facts will show that he has been treated fairly.”
This isn't the only lawsuit Diddy plans to file against the company either. He's reportedly planning to request billions in damages due to the alleged neglect in a separate legal filing.