Diddy Claims Sean John Is Stealing His Likeness In $25M Lawsuit

BYAron A.9.6K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Diddy takes aim at the owner of his former clothing line Sean John for using his image and likeness without consent.

When you think about hip-hop fashion in the past 20 years, it's hard not to recognize the impact of Sean John. Diddy's clothing line was pretty much everywhere and anywhere throughout the 2000s until he sold the company. However, the company appears to still be using his likeness to move products and Diddy isn't happy about it.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

According to AllHipHop, a lawsuit was filed against the owner of Sean John, GBG USA, for using quotes from Diddy to promo their new line. Diddy filed the $25M lawsuit on allegations that they used Diddy's image, likeness, and persona without permission in the launch of Sean John's new collab line with Missguided.

“[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 said. 

Diddy's brand was purchased by Global Brand Groups in 2016, seventeen years after Diddy initially launched the clothing line. In the lawsuit, Diddy said that he never offered them permission to use his name, nor has he used his image to endorse the brand at all. 

"[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,” Diddy’s lawyer continued.


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
...