In the middle of his attempt to modernize and broaden a business portfolio he has spent decades building, Sean "Diddy" Combs is coming under increasing scrutiny following the settlement of rape and abuse charges with singer Cassie last week.
The London-based spirit manufacturer Diageo used the allegations in a letter it filed with a New York court on Friday to support its months-long campaign to keep Combs from being the face of DeLeón tequila, which he has managed in a joint venture with the company for ten years.
Following a slew of cases that Combs brought against Diageo—whose other brands include Smirnoff, Don Julio, and Johnnie Walker—the letter was sent.
He claimed in May that the firm had violated an equal treatment clause in their contract by labeling DeLeón and Cîroc, the vodka he fronted for 15 years, as "Black brands" for "urban" consumers. Combs claimed in a follow-up October complaint that Diageo had excluded him from the spirit sector due to his racial discrimination allegations, which have been placed on hold until the spring of next year. In his retaliation lawsuit from last month, he said the business was telling him to "speak up or you will be punished."
Diageo announced at the time that Combs had broken his contract, ending the Cîroc relationship over the summer. However, the parties are still at odds on how to spend up to $15 million on marketing and advertising, including for DeLeón next year.
Diageo has claimed in court documents for the past few months that Combs is already a useless spokesman due to the company's denial of Combs' claims of racism. The corporation warned on Friday that the fresh "public and disturbing accusations" leveled against the music entrepreneur might cause "devastating and permanent damage" to the tequila brand. It also mentioned that one influencer had already requested to sever their relationship with DeLeón due to moral concerns.
Diageo cited a statement from Combs' attorney to The New York Times in its court filing, which stated that the musician knew Cassie intended to make their relationship public at least six months prior to their public revelation. "Happens to correspond with the pendency of Combs Wines’ original case against Diageo,” the business stated.
Diageo refrained from commenting further the statement in the court document.
Combs's representative stated that the settlement with Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, “does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims,” but they declined to comment on the Diageo issue. He's glad they were able to come to an amicable agreement and hopes the best for Ms. Ventura.
Combs and others in his inner circle have come under increased scrutiny in the days following the emergence of the rape allegations. His record label, Bad Boy Records, was sued on Wednesday by its parent business and former president, Harve Pierre, who was accused of sexually abusing an unidentified label staffer.
A representative for Bad Boy Entertainment stated, "The allegations are from many years ago that were never brought to the company's attention." "The executive and the complainant are not now employed by the company. While we look into the claims, our first concern is for the security and welfare of our workers.
Pierre did not reply to messages seeking comment right away.
The co-host of a podcast on Combs' media network Revolt declared on Monday that she will not be taking part in a third season. Dawn Montgomery, the host of the podcast "Monuments to Me," which explores the struggles and accomplishments of Black women, wrote on X, saying, "I am a [sexual assault] survivor & I cannot be part of a show that's supposed to uplift black women while @Diddy leads the company."
Montgomery expressed sympathy for Cassie's claims to NBC News. "I can't agree to continue and insist on getting paid to produce a podcast where some of the episodes would presumably touch on this discussion," she stated. "There was never anything Diddy and his people could do to make me feel like I had to keep quiet."
Revolt did not reply when contacted for comment.
Social media users have been sharing fresh and old interviews with Combs's associates about his alleged behavior, as well as scathing remarks. A few individuals mentioned the term “Surviving Diddy,” seemingly alluding to the Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which showcased testimonies from women accusing the R&B singer of mistreatment over multiple decades. Kelly is presently incarcerated for several charges related to sexual offenses.
The artist Kesha made reference to Combs in the opening line of her 2009 hit song "Tik Tok," during a performance in Los Angeles last weekend.
The 54-year-old Hollywood entrepreneur has made a lot of business moves in the last 12 months, so this backlash comes after that.
Combs told Variety that he was "doing the right thing" by carrying out plans that had been in the works since 2021 when he announced in September that he was giving over publication rights to a number of Bad Boy musicians. A number of musicians objected to the proposal, claiming they had been requesting the rights for years and that it was improbable they would make any money from music that was more popular decades earlier.
To represent his development "as a business leader and a bigger vision to build the largest portfolio of leading Black-owned brands in the world," he relaunched Combs Enterprises as Combs Global in February. One of the ventures is Empower Global, an online marketplace that was established in 2021 with the goal of assisting Black business owners.
The makeover was announced three months after Combs had previously decided to pay up to $185 million for the acquisition of two cannabis businesses. However, the deal fell through in July due to the failure of the merger that was supposed to separate the two businesses. As part of a contract with Motown Records, Combs launched a new R&B label in May called Love Records, which would see the release of his fifth studio album in September.
With a reported net worth of $1 billion, Combs first gained notoriety in the early 1990s as a music promoter who then transitioned into a talent director. He then started his own record company, Bad Boy Records, promoting artists such as Faith Evans and the late Notorious B.I.G. The Sean John streetwear label was one of his first significant forays into the fashion industry, having debuted in 1998. Combs repurchased the brand from its insolvent owner for approximately $7.5 million five years after selling the majority of it for an estimated $70 million in 2016.
According to a Macy's representative, the retailer started to phase out Sean John this fall for reasons unconnected to the accusations made against Combs. Neither Sean John's parent business nor other significant retailers of the line, Saks Off 5th and Nordstrom, responded to requests for comment.
Experts in crisis communications have said that Combs' prompt resolution of the allegations of abuse may prevent additional harm to his company and reputation.
As far as Diddy is concerned, "by getting this thing resolved quickly, he avoided much of that pain," said Red Banyan CEO Evan Nierman. "I believe that closing the case to their mutual satisfaction and resolving the legal issue will help protect him from having his career destroyed forever."
He said he wasn't shocked that more well-known figures and significant companies haven't commented. "This is not going to have a lasting damaging effect on him," he said, adding, "I expect people to remain quiet on the topic now while it's in the headlines."
Nicole Childers, Sara Ruberg, and Diana Dasrath's report from NBCNews.com To read on NBCNews.com,