The e-commerce platform Empower Global, launched by rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs in July, has lost 18 of its partner brands after Combs was sued by four women for sexual assault and abuse.
The online marketplace, which aimed to showcase and support Black-owned businesses, has seen a mass exodus of brands who said they could not associate with Combs after his former girlfriend, R&B singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, and three other women accused him of rape, sex trafficking, and physical violence.
The brands that have cut ties with Empower Global include House of Takura, Nuudii System, No One Clothiers, Tsuri, and Fulaba, among others. They confirmed their decision to Rolling Stone, saying they took the allegations against Combs very seriously and supported the victims in speaking their truth.
Some of the brands said they terminated their Empower Global account on the same day that Ventura filed her lawsuit, which detailed a decade of abuse and manipulation by Combs, who signed her to his record label, Bad Boy Records, in 2006.
Combs, who has a net worth of $1 billion, has denied the allegations and said he would fight them in court. He has also stepped down as the chairman of Revolt, his cable network, amid the scandal.
Empower Global, which Combs invested more than $20 million in, was supposed to be his latest venture to diversify and empower the Black community. He said he was more excited about it than when he started Bad Boy Entertainment in 1993.
However, the platform has faced challenges since its launch, including the departure of its CEO, Khadijah Robinson, in February. Robinson, who founded the Nile List, an e-commerce directory for Black businesses, had joined Combs Enterprises in 2021 when Combs acquired her company.
Some of the brands that have left Empower Global also cited the platform's poor performance and lack of support as reasons for their decision. They said they had invested time and money to prepare for the launch, but were disappointed by the results.
One brand that has remained on the platform said they believed in the vision of Robinson and hoped that Empower Global would improve its service and address the allegations against Combs.
The fallout from the lawsuits has also affected Combs' music career, as the Grammys are reportedly evaluating his 2024 nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album. Combs has won three Grammys and scored 44 nominations in his career.
Combs has faced dozens of lawsuits over his four-decade career as a rapper, producer, and entrepreneur, with some incidents involving accusations of violence. He has rarely faced criminal charges, and has settled many of the cases out of court.
