Diageo Announces the Termination of Its Troubled Partnership with Diddy

British drinks giant Diageo has announced its decision to sever ties with rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs due to a damaged relationship. Diageo, known for brands like Johnnie Walker and Guinness, referred to the rapper as an “unreliable and untrustworthy business partner” in response to a lawsuit filed by Diddy that claimed racism, according to the BBC. Diageo dismissed Diddy’s claims as defamatory and an attempt to extort an additional amount of money from the company. The company stated that his actions have clearly violated his contracts, leaving them with no choice but to dismiss his unfounded complaint and terminate their business relationship.

In Diddy’s lawsuit, filed last month, he accused Diageo of deliberately limiting the distribution of his Cîroc vodka and DeLeón tequila brands to predominantly “urban” neighborhoods due to his race, while allocating more resources to promote other brands, as reported by the AP. Diageo responded by stating that the rapper failed to fulfill his commitment to financially support the tequila brand, which both parties acquired together in 2013. The company mentioned that despite earning nearly a billion dollars during their 15-year partnership, Mr. Combs only contributed a total of $1,000 and refused to honor his obligations.

Diddy’s lawyer, John Hueston, retaliated by stating that “Diageo attempting to end its deals with Mr. Combs is like firing a whistleblower who calls out racism,” as reported by the Hollywood Reporter. Hueston further stated that over the years, Diddy had raised concerns about racially insensitive remarks made by senior executives and biased decisions based on such viewpoints. Diageo is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed, but according to the lawyer, “this lawsuit and Mr. Combs are not going away.”