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In a surprising turn, music mogul and entrepreneur Sean Diddy Combs has decided to drop his $60 million lawsuit against his former fashion brand, Sean John.
On June 21, 2024, the agreement between Combs and fashion house GBG Sean John LLC and GBG USA Inc. was settled after Combs' voluntary dismissal of the case, including all claims and counterclaims on the brand, reports All Hip Hop.
According to All Hip Hop, Sean John was founded by Combs in 1998. However, in 2016, the music mogul sold 90% of the company's shares to Global Brands Group for around $70 million. The former owner sued the company initially in 2021, alleging that they misused his name and image for marketing strategies.
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This drop in lawsuit came amid his ongoing legal troubles, including the surveillance video released by CNN of Diddy allegedly assaulting his former partner, Cassie, in a hotel corridor from 2016 on May 17, 2024.
Inside Diddy's $60M lawsuit against the fashion brand Sean John
The private fashion lifestyle line, which debuted with a men's sportswear collection in the spring of 1998, reached annual sales of about $450 million by 2016, when Diddy sold his shares to GBG.
As per Black Enterprise, Combs has filed multiple lawsuits against the fashion brand since February 2021 for using his persona without the music mogul's consent.
According to All Hip Hop, one major instance reported involves a legal battle in which Diddy fought for trademark rights over the phrase "Vote Or Die," alleging that Global Brands Group (GBG) exploited this phrase without his consent.
As per the publication, Combs got his company back in 2021 with a bid for $7.5 million, but since then, the quest for the payout from Global Brands Group has continued as GBG filed for bankruptcy. Speaking with FOX Business after winning the bid, Diddy suggested that he build a premium fashion brand that introduced "Hip Hop to high fashion."
"I launched Sean John in 1998 with the goal of building a premium brand that shattered tradition and introduced Hip Hop to high-fashion on a global scale," he continued.
Even after being in control of Combs, the brand could not survive as, according to the president of Exit Stage Left Advisors, Ted Jenkin Sean John, was no longer "popular with consumers."
"Big box retail stores are always considering what's relevant, and Sean John was no longer remotely popular with consumers. The brand lost its swagger," Jenkin said to FOX Business.
According to Black Enterprise, Combs sued Sean John for $60 million in a legal filing but had to drop the lawsuit because of ongoing legal trouble against the Bad Boy label owner.
This series of lawsuits started when Cassie Ventura, Combs' former partner, filed a lawsuit against him in November 2023, alleging physical assaults. Moreover, the lawsuit was settled a day later with an undisclosed settlement amount.
However, the allegations were reportedly confirmed when CNN released a surveillance video from different angles of the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. In the video, Ventura can be seen exiting the room and walking towards the elevator. Combs allegedly grabs her by the neck and throws her to the floor.
Right after the release of this video, Diddy released an apology video in a now-deleted Instagram post. In the video, he took "full responsibility" for the actions shown in the video clip:
"My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now... 'I'm so sorry," Combs said in the video.
Not only this, but according to All Hip Hop, Diddy has been accused of s*xual misconduct, abuse, and human trafficking, and at least seven lawsuits have been filed against him. Earlier this month, his mansions in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security, but the nature of the raid is still unknown.
Sean Combs has not personally responded to any allegation or lawsuit, nor has he addressed the fact that he had dropped the lawsuit against Sean John.
