His attempt to recast follow up discussions regarding innovations for DeLeon is, as is his entire suit, disingenuous and self-serving.” Combs supported, publicly endorsed for several years, and benefited financially from the success of Ciroc Summer Watermelon. In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, a Diageo spokesperson said, “Mr. Combs’ consistent objection to adding flavors, and the efforts to educate Diageo about the racial history and connotations relating to watermelon.” They did this despite DeLeon not having flavored tequila, Mr. Combs and his team with a developed watermelon-flavored DeLeon Tequila. However, Combs said Diageo ignored his request that “DeLeon should not launch any flavor until the public had learned more about the brand.”īut, Combs claimed, “Diageo showed up in person to Mr.
Per the lawsuit, Combs told Diageo it needed to be “careful about ‘watermelon’ with a brand that it consistently characterized as an ‘urban African American brand.’”Ĭombs said Diageo gave him “assurances” it would proceed with caution, and he signed off on the new Ciroc flavor. And, despite Combs’ efforts to grow Cisco into a “billion-dollar brand that had widespread appeal,” an internal Diageo presentation still referred to the vodka as an “urban African American brand tied to one personality.”Ĭombs even claimed Diageo “proposed downplaying” his connection to Ciroc, “with the goal of rolling back its ‘image of being an African-American brand.’”įurthermore, the original lawsuit included the claim that Combs frequently flagged “ specific examples of matters that were racially insensitive, Diageo ignored him and, worse, repeated the same racially-charged example.” The example given (originally redacted) involved the alleged process that went into launching Ciroc’s watermelon flavor. Now, specific details pertaining to Diageo’s alleged treatment of Ciroc and DeLeon, have come to light after New York State Supreme Court Judge Joel Cohen ruled that Diageo could only keep portions of the lawsuit secret.Īmong the newly-unveiled claims in the lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone: Ciroc and DeLeon were regularly described as “urban brands” within the Diageo portfolio. Combs also claimed that Diageo’s President of Reserve and New Business Stephen Rust admitted to him that “race was part of the reason Diageo limited the neighborhoods where the Combs brand were distributed.”ĭiageo has denied the allegations and accused Combs of making “false and reckless allegations, including numerous defamatory and disparaging accusations of racism on the part of Diageo and certain of its senior executives.” In late June, Diageo ended its business relationship with Combs.
What was known, was that Combs believed Diageo had failed to invest resources into Ciroc and DeLeon, and only seemed interested in marketing them to “urban” consumers. When Combs filed the lawsuit back in May, he accused Diageo of “discriminatory treatment,” though a lot of the particulars were redacted. Sean “ Diddy” Combs claimed the alcohol giant Diageo regularly referred to his Ciroc vodka and DeLeon tequila as “urban brands,” and even developed a watermelon-flavored version of DeLeon over his objections, according to a new, unredacted version of Combs’ lawsuit against the liquor company.
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