December 12, (THEWILL) – Numerous companies are said to be severing connections with Sean Combs, aka Diddy, in the wake of multiple sexual abuse allegations against the music mogul by singer Cassandra Ventura, popularly known as Cassie, and three other women.
18 companies have ended their partnerships with his e-commerce platform, Empower Global.
Launched in 2021, the platform focuses on fostering Black-owned businesses through a digital marketplace, providing opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to thrive.
House of Takura, a lifestyle and fashion brand, separated from Empower Global due to its alignment with the public sentiment surrounding the allegations against the singer.
“We take the allegations against Mr. Combs very seriously and find such behaviour abhorrent and intolerable. We believe in victims’ rights and support victims in speaking their truth, even against the most powerful of people,” founder, Annette Njau, said.
Nuudii System, the undergarment and shapewear line, has also swiftly ended its association with Combs’ company. The CEO, Annette Azan, cited the rapid decision as a response to the sexual assault allegations against Combs.
“Nuudii System is a women’s brand, owned and run by me and my two daughters. We believe in women and stand in support of them. Frankly, we are sick of men trying to control our bodies and using their power to harm us,” Azan said.
Ashli Goudelock, founder of luxury skin-care brand, Tsuri, says her company unequivocally seeks to terminate its association with Empower Global.
“As a women-owned and led company, we do not and will not linger in a grey area about the mistreatment of women,” she says.
Other companies that have reportedly left Empower Global include jewellery label Fulaba, footwear line Rebecca Allen and sunscreen brand Baby Donna.
The departure of these companies is just one aspect of the recent changes in Diddy’s business endeavours.
In the past month, Revolt, the cable TV network co-founded by Diddy, announced his resignation as chairman without specifying the reason for his departure.
On November 16, Cassie filed a substantial lawsuit, accusing Diddy of rape, physical abuse, and orchestrating forced sex acts with others. Tiffany Red, a close friend of Ventura and a singer-songwriter, corroborated some of these claims in an open letter last week.
A week later, two more women came forward. One claimed Diddy drugged and sexually assaulted her, displaying a video of the assault to others. The other woman accused Combs and singer Aaron Hall of taking turns raping her and her friend in the early ’90s, alleging a subsequent violent encounter with Combs.
Last Wednesday, Jane Doe filed another lawsuit, asserting that Diddy and two others gang raped her at his Manhattan recording studio in 2003 when she was 17.
Diddy vehemently denies all allegations. He asserts his innocence, condemning the accusations as attempts to tarnish his character for financial gain.
Despite these legal challenges, Diddy continues his pursuits in music, media, and e-commerce, and maintains involvement in ventures like Sean John, AQUAhydrate, and partnerships with Diageo for Ciroc vodka and DeLéon tequila.
