Sean “Diddy” Combs has a problem with Sean John, the clothing company he started but doesn’t own anymore.
The entertainment mogul launched the fashion brand back in 1998 and then sold it to Global Brands Group in 2016. However, in a recent lawsuit filed against the Global Brands Group, Combs states that he has never endorsed the line, nor did he give Global Brands Group, Sean John, or Missguided authorization to associate his name with the current collection. Based on quotes used by the companies, it falsely appears that he is connected to the new Sean John x Missguided brand.
The $25 million lawsuit was filed last week on Feb. 4.6
“[Diddy] does not challenge [Sean John/GBG’s] right to use the Sean John trademark, but rather [Sean John/GBG’s] decision to leverage a fabricated quote they created and then falsely attributed to Mr. Combs, and to use Mr. Combs’s name and other monikers to create the false and misleading impression that Mr. Combs is the decision-maker behind the designs and creation of the GBG Collection,” Diddy’s lawyer Jonathan D. Davis states in the lawsuit, according to AllHipHop.
Diddy also says that the brand used his image in a short ad campaign video to advertise the new line.
“[Sean John, GBG and Missguided] are using the Unapproved Material, which contains false or misleading representations of fact, to promote and sell the items in the GBG Collection because they understand that associating it with Mr. Combs will significantly increase sales and profits,” Davis also said.
According to Complex, Diddy has reportedly filed another lawsuit against Global Brands Group last month. He alleges that the company infringed on his trademarked phrase, “Vote Or Die” by selling merchandise that featured the slogan during last year’s presidential election.