Diddy’s ongoing lawsuit against the liquor company Diageo on basis of racial discrimination isn’t getting any easier to navigate. Moreover, his recent actions in court to move his case forward included allegations that the spirits brand retaliated against him in an undue way. For those unaware, the Bad Boy mogul partnered with the company to produce, distribute, sell, and promote his tequila, Puff’s DeLeón brand. Back in May, he sued Diageo with claims that they racially discriminated in its handling of his brand and neglected it outright. They responded and claimed this is a farce, and that he only contributed $1,000 to a partnership that raked in over a billion dollars in profits.
Regardless, Diddy’s not going down without a fight, as court documents from Wednesday (July 19) obtained by The New York Post indicate. “The message is clear- if you dare to shed light on Diageo’s conduct, you will be punished,†hiss lawyer John Hueston allegedly told the New York State Supreme Court. “While Diageo has self-servingly misrepresented the goals of Combs’s lawsuit in the press, its attempt to retaliate against Combs for asserting his legal rights will not work in court.†In addition, his filing claims that the liquor company marketed his tequila as an “urban†brand.
Read More: Diddy Wants To Sell DeLeón Tequila “Door To Door†Amid Diageo Lawsuit
Diddy At A Met Gala Afterparty
“This is a business dispute and should not be recast as anything other than that,†a representative for Diageo told The Post. Furthermore, they maintained that they have a right by contract to “to terminate the marketing services agreement in place for Ciroc and begin the wind down of the DeLeón joint venture. Our actions are consistent with our desire to protect the significant investment we have made in both brands and their future growth. [Diddy’s] longstanding bad faith actions, false accusations and breaches of contract overwhelmingly support Diageo’s justified decision to sever ties.â€
Meanwhile, one of Combs’ lawyers told HipHopDX that this is pure retaliation. “It’s a cynical and transparent attempt to distract from multiple allegations of discrimination,†Hueston stated. “Over the years, he has repeatedly raised concerns as senior executives uttered racially insensitive comments and made biased decisions based on that point of view. Diageo even acknowledged the problem by agreeing in his contract to treat DeLeon the same way it treated their other tequila brands. He brought the lawsuit to force them to live up to that contract, and instead they respond by trying to get rid of him. This lawsuit and Mr. Combs are not going away.†For more news and the latest updates on Diddy, check back in with HNHH.
Read More: Diddy Launches “Empower Global†For Black-Owned Business
