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“Diddy Rape Claims Reignite Diageo’s Fight to Block Him from Tequila Ads

Diageo, the company behind tequila brand Don Julio, is reigniting its efforts to keep rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs out of its tequila ads. This comes after a series of allegations of rape by Diddy in 2018 came to light. These allegations surfaced in a 2018 lawsuit, which claimed that Diddy had raped the plaintiff, music producer Drew Dixon, on multiple occasions while the two were working together in 1995. Dixon reported these accounts to the New York Police Department, but the District Attorney’s office declined to bring any criminal charges against the rap mogul. The lawsuit, which was ultimately dismissed in 2019, has since been seen as an example of how many survivors of sexual assault are unable to get justice in the criminal court system. Diageo has made it clear that it doesn’t want its tequila brand associated with the public allegations against Diddy. The company’s general counsel, Chris Walton, noted in an email to Dixon’s attorney that “Our desire is that we make it plain in the strongest possible language” that the company has “no desire whatsoever to involve Diddy in any aspect of the Don Julio tequila brand.” It is unclear if Dixon is still pursuing the claims against Diddy, or if Diageo has any plans to pursue legal action against the rap mogul. What is evident, however, is that Diageo has strengthened its stance against having Diddy associated with its brand. In an era where public accountability of sexual assault has become increasingly common and survivors’ voices are being heard, Diageo’s efforts are a step in the right direction. Hopefully, this will encourage other brands to take similar measures in order to ensure that survivors of sexual assault are able to get the justice they deserve.