Sean "Diddy" Combs has withdrawn his lawsuit against the massive liquor company Diageo.
The involved parties have reached a confidential resolution following productive negotiations.
They said in a statement, "Sean Combs and Diageo have now agreed to resolve all their disputes."
"Mr. Combs has withdrawn all of his allegations about Diageo and will voluntarily dismiss his lawsuits against Diageo with prejudice. Diageo now solely owns Cîroc vodka or DeLeón tequila, and there is no ongoing business relationship between Diageo and Mr. Combs."
In May, the company Combs Wine and Spirits, owned by Diddy, took legal action against the liquor industry titan Diageo. Within the lawsuit, the rapper asserted that he had established a mutually beneficial partnership with Diageo specifically for marketing purposes.
Professional Feud
Diddy accused Diageo of neglecting the marketing and investment of DeLeon Tequila while diverting their efforts and funds towards promoting Don Julio and Casamigos.
This unexpected accusation has left him questioning whether this decision was motivated by deep-rooted racism within the company.
A legal battle erupted between Diageo and the influential entrepreneur. The dispute centers around allegations that Diageo has pigeonholed two of Diddy's popular spirit brands, Ciroc and DeLeon, as exclusively targeting "urban" consumers.
Furthermore, he made the shocking claim that a Diageo executive insinuated he would receive greater support if he were Martha Stewart.
What Had Been Said
Diddy's company was reportedly informed by another executive that the distribution of the Combs brand in certain neighborhoods was limited due to racial factors.
This revelation prompted the musician to announce his intentions to seek significant monetary compensation from Diageo for their alleged mishandling of the situation. In their defense, Diageo denied any wrongdoing and emphasized their substantial investments in Ciroc and DeLeon.
However, Diageo sharply refuted the claims as unfounded and irresponsible in response to the allegations. The company vehemently accused Diddy of demanding a significantly higher payment while threatening to publicly accuse Diageo of racism.
The company further presented a purported instance showcasing Diddy's alleged misconduct to support their argument.
According to official court docs, "For example, in May 2021, following Diageo's public commitment of $100 million to help with COVID recovery for the hospitality sector and underprivileged communities, Mr. Combs demanded that Diageo pay him $100 million and threatened then to 'reach out to every news outlet' to 'burn the house down' and cause maximum damage to Diageo and the DeLeón brand, by making public accusations racism if Diageo refused to write the check."
But the rapper's lawyer told Rolling Stone, "Diageo claims its executives were available to hear all of Mr. Combs's concerns about race and diversity issues."
"The sad truth is that they never truly listened to what Mr. Combs was saying and brushed them off as threats and demands for money. If they had taken the time to comprehend his concerns and lived up to the agreements they signed, we wouldn't be in court today."
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