Source: STAN HONDA / Getty
A judge has ordered previously confidential details of Diddy’s lawsuit against Diageo to be unsealed, revealing startling allegations.
On Wednesday (July 5th), Judge Joel Cohen ordered the confidential elements of the mogul’s lawsuit filed in May to be unsealed for public viewing, declaring that Diageo can only keep specific parts off-limits. This followed a ruling last Friday (June 30th). The lawsuit by Diddy demands that the global brand, which oversees over 200 beer and liquor companies including Guinness, treat his DeLeon tequila brand “at least as favorably” as others under its umbrella per their 2013 agreement.
The details that have been revealed show some startling allegations. These details included Diageo apparently presenting Diddy with a watermelon-flavored version of his tequila despite his objections and attempts to educate the company on the ills of such a move. Another complaint made by Diddy, aka Sean Combs, says that Diageo informed him that all of their agave plant production would be directed towards the company’s other tequila brands in 2021, forcing DeLeon to hurriedly hunt for suppliers in a tight market.
Combs has also stated that since Diageo’s purchase of competing tequila brands Don Julio and Casamigos in 2014 and 2017, the company insisted on positioning the DeLeon brand as an “urban” brand and paid little attention to its marketing. The suit points to a statistic that as of last year, DeLeon was marketed in 3% of potential areas as opposed to Don Julio being marketed in 36% of potential areas. In addition, the brand has been listed as “out of stock” in major markets at least ten times over the last year.
In response, Diageo released a statement. “His attempt to recast follow-up discussions regarding innovations for DeLeon is, as is his entire suit, disingenuous and self-serving,” it said. They also claimed that Diddy was highly supportive of their actions in the past, pointing to his backing of the production of Ciroc Summer Watermelon. Diageo is now in the process of terminating its partnership with Ciroc Vodka and Combs, which first began in 2007.
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