Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, the US musician, has abandoned his case against Diageo after reaching a settlement with the London-based drinks company.
The beverages giant discontinued its association with Diddy in June 2023 after the music mogul accused the company of neglecting his tequila brand because of his race in a lawsuit.
Combs sued Diageo in May, claiming the company failed to make promised investments in Ciroc and DeLeon and viewed them as inferior “urban” brands.
In court filings, Combs said Diageo executives told him that race was one of the reasons the company limited distribution to “urban” neighborhoods.
Diageo, which controls over 200 brands including Guinness beer, Tanqueray gin, and Johnnie Walker, has refuted the allegations.
It said their relationship had been strained since Diddy allegedly failed to fulfill his pledges to sponsor DeLeon Tequila, which they purchased together in 2013.
Diageo stated that it had invested more than $100 million in DeLeon Tequila and had “tried for years to salvage the broken relationship with Mr Combs”.
“Despite having made nearly a billion dollars over the course of our 15-year relationship, Mr Combs contributed a total of $1,000 and refused to honor his commitments,” the company said.
But in a joint statement on Tuesday, Combs and Diageo agreed to resolve all disputes between them.
Consequently, Diageo is now the sole owner of Ciroc vodka and DeLeon tequila, two brands Combs had part-owned and promoted in the past.
“Sean Combs and Diageo have now agreed to resolve all disputes between them. Mr. Combs has withdrawn all of his allegations about Diageo and will voluntarily dismiss his lawsuits against Diageo with prejudice,” the statement reads in part.
“Diageo and Mr. Combs have no ongoing business relationship, either with respect to Cîroc vodka or DeLeón tequila, which Diageo now solely owns.”
Last December, Empower Global, a company founded by the singer, was dropped by 18 companies following several sexual assault allegations against him.