Diageo settles racism lawsuit with Diddy

Diageo Plc has settled a lawsuit with Sean Combs after the music mogul sued the British drinks company in May, accusing it of underinvestment in brands he fronted. Combs, known as Diddy, had accused the spirits group of racism in neglecting liquor brands—Ciroc Vodka and DeLeón Tequila—but has now withdrawn his allegations, Diageo said Tuesday. Look back: How Diddy-Diageo divorce will affect Ciroc and DeLeon branding Diageo will be the sole owner of DeLeón and will have no further business relationship with Combs. No further settlement terms were disclosed. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here Combs claimed in his suit that Diageo paid lip service to promoting diversity in its business relationships while failing to adequately promote his brands. As evidence of bias, he pointed in his suit to the company’s $1 billion acquisition and marketing of the Casamigos tequila brand partly founded by actor George Clooney. Diageo said in its court filing that it was Combs who failed to support his brands, putting only $1,000 into the joint venture while the company invested $100 million. —Bloomberg News Subscribe to Ad Age Sign up now for the latest industry news and analysis Click here

Diageo settles racism lawsuit with Diddy

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