Diddy says Diageo ditched tequila brand in favor of George Clooney

Business partner Diageo paid $1 billion to George Clooney-owned spirits before ignoring the tequila label in favor of rival Casamigos, according to a lawsuit filed by Sean “Diddy” Combs. was “urban and called the ‘black brand'”. Rap mogul Wednesday.

Combs suspect In a complaint filed in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, the distillery giant “sabotaged” its Deleon brand of tequila with poor packaging that “made the product look cheap.” and According to The Wall Street Journal.

He also claimed that Diageo executives told him in 2019 that race was one of the reasons the company restricted distribution of Deleon and the popular Ciroc vodka.

According to court filings, the executive told the rapper-turned-entrepreneur that if his company, Combs Wines & Spirits, owned Martha Stewart, his brand would be more widespread. It is said that it will be distributed to.

That same year, Diageo launched a redesigned bottle with a label that “foams easily and makes the product look cheap,” according to court filings. “Naturally, the rebranded Deleon products didn’t take off.”

Combs took the complaint to Diageo president Ivan Menezes.

“Mr Deleon continues to be subject to sabotage and neglect by Diageo management,” he said in a letter to CEO Ivan Meneses in 2020, according to court filings.

According to court filings, Menezes told Combs he was committed to mending the relationship and said he was “a driving force behind Ciroc’s success” by being an “advocate for African-Americans”. He said he was grateful for what happened.

Diageo denied Combs’ racist allegations and brand disrespect.

“This is a business dispute and we regret that Mr. Combs has chosen to re-raise the issue as a separate matter,” a Diageo spokesperson told the Post.

“We take our strong commitment to diversity both internally and in the communities we serve very seriously.”

“We categorically deny the allegations made and will vigorously defend ourselves when appropriate,” the spokesperson added.

The Post reached out to Combs for comment.

2007 Combs and Diageo We worked together to create Cîrocbecame a bestseller.

Six years later, the two formed a joint venture to capitalize on tequila’s growing popularity, acquiring Deleon, a little-known brand that sold for $1,000 a bottle in some bars.

In 2017, Diageo agreed to pay up to $1 billion to Casamigos, the best-selling tequila brand led by Clooney and his business partner Rande Gerber.

Diageo’s portfolio also includes Don Julio.

The two brands accounted for nearly 25% of last year’s $11.7 billion in tequila sales, according to industry insiders cited by the magazine.

Deleon, on the other hand, ranks 28th, accounting for 0.4% of tequila sales in 2022, the magazine reported.

According to the lawsuit, Diddy alleged that Deleon was being held back by chronic out-of-stock and low distribution.

The complaint seeks to enforce Diageo’s compliance with its 2013 joint venture agreement and other agreements signed between the parties, according to the Times.

“For more than 15 years, we have had a productive and mutually beneficial relationship with Mr. Combs in various business ventures, making significant investments that have resulted in the financial success of all involved,” the spokesperson said. Stated.

“We regret that our efforts to amicably resolve this business dispute have been ignored and that Mr. Combs has chosen to undermine a productive and valuable partnership.”

“We respect Mr. Combs as an artist and entrepreneur, but we believe his allegations are baseless and the facts show he was treated fairly,” the spokesperson said. There are,’ he added.

with post wire