In a shocking turn of events, 50 Cent defended Diddy regarding his dispute with Diageo over their co-owned tequila and vodka brands. The In da Club rapper took to his Instagram on Sunday, June 9, 2024, to compare his ongoing legal battle with Suntory Global Spirits with Comb’s battle, stating-
“Puffy made Diageo a lot of money with ciroc,they were fine with that because he didn’t own anything. Soon as he owns Deleón their relationship can’t work. I made @suntoryglobalspirits a lot of money with Effen soon as I own my own brands they did me dirty.”
“They want black consumers, but they don’t want black business owners. True story.”
Fif’s posts came less than a week after he visited Washington, D.C., to speak with lawmakers about the lack of minority representation in the liquor industry. 50 Cent sued Suntory for $6 million earlier this year, accusing the company of embezzling millions from his liquor brands.
The G-Unit Records owner referenced Diddy’s May 2023 lawsuit against Diageo, in which Diddy claimed the company neglected the brands he co-owned or promoted due to his race. This dispute was settled in January 2024.
Diddy’s Combs Wines and Sprits first partnered with Diageo in 2007 to promote the Vodka brand Ciroc
Diageo is a London-based spirits company that owns renowned liquor brands such as Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, and Guinness. Puffy Daddy’s Combs Wines and Sprits first partnered with Diageo in 2007 to promote the vodka brand Ciroc. In 2013, they teamed up to purchase the tequila brand DeLeon.
In May 2023, Diddy sued the spirits giant, accusing it of racial discrimination by neglecting Ciroq and DeLeon and marketing them as “urban” brands rather than the general public.
Per a CNBC report, the rapper claimed Diageo “sabotaged” DeLeon with packaging that “made the product look cheap” while spending more resources on other celebrity brands in their portfolio, like George Clooney’s Casamigos tequila.
Per CNBC, citing court documents, Combs alleged that his brands were “starved” of George Clooney’s Casamigos tequila. Additionally, Diddy claimed Diageo executive Stephen Rust told him race was one of the reasons why the spirit giant limited the distribution of DeLeon and Ciroc.
Diageo at the time denied all allegations. The liquor giant explained their relationship with Diddy had soured since they brought DeLeon, as the rapper failed to meet his obligations to fund the tequila brand. They countersued Puffy after their business relationship in October 2023, accusing him of using racial grounds to extort money.
Diddy’s lawyer John C. Hueston, commented on his behalf
“Diageo attempting to end its deals with Mr. Combs is like firing a whistleblower who calls out racism. It’s a cynical and transparent attempt to distract from multiple allegations of discrimination.”
In January 2024, both settled the case and released a joint statement, saying-
“Sean Combs and Diageo have now agreed to resolve all disputes between them. Mr. Combs has withdrawn all of his allegations about Diageo and will voluntarily dismiss his lawsuits against Diageo with prejudice.”
Additionally, the statement explained that they have “no ongoing business relationship, either with respect to Cîroc vodka or DeLeón tequila, which Diageo now solely owns.”
Diddy has not released any statements about 50 Cent’s post. He is currently facing multiple lawsuits accusing him of s*xual abuse.
