Diageo, the world’s largest maker of alcoholic drinks including tequila, has renewed its push to keep company brand ambassador Diddy out of their advertisements after recent rape allegations surfaced from a 1999 interview.
The company is backing its claim that Diddy “lacks credibility” and should not be the face of any advertisements with the company. A representative from Diageo issued a statement on Tuesday claiming that, “We have been in discussions with Combs Enterprises for some time in order to explore ways of winding down our existing partnership in an amicable manner.”
The rape allegation against Diddy, Sean Combs, was brought to the public’s attention in January of this year. It comes from an interview given by former video vixen Kim Osorio in 1999, of which she stated “Diddy came in with an entourage, the atmosphere at the party changed dramatically, which was kind of scary for me. That’s when he dragged me into the bedroom. I was raped and molested.”
Diddy has since denied the allegation, and stated that what happened was consensual. However no legal action has been taken by either party.
Diageo is standing firm in their stance that Diddy “lacks credibility” and as a result is not an appropriate choice for an authorized face of its company. This could potentially be a major financial blow for the celebrity rap mogul, as previous endorsements of his, including with Ciroc, have been said to have significantly increased Diddy’s net worth.
In the midst of the #MeToo movement, Diageo is likely taking additional precautions and strongly reevaluating its relationship with Diddy, reassessing whether or not the association with him is prudent for their business. It is not yet clear if Diageo will be removing Diddy from any existing advertisements they may already have created with him, or if they will be taking any further steps to completely sever ties with him and his empire.
