Diageo exploring sale of Ciroc Vodka brand, Bloomberg reports

Diageo (DEO) is exploring a sale of Ciroc Vodka, a brand once backed Sean “Diddy” Combs, Aaron Kirchfeld, Dinesh Nair and Ruth David of Bloomberg report, citing people familiar with the matter. The company has reached out to potential suitors including beverage companies and buyout firms to gauge their interest, sources told Bloomberg. Diageo is studying a sale of Ciroc following the settlement in January of a lawsuit with Combs where he accused the spirits company of racism in its alleged neglect of Ciroc Vodka and another liquor brand called DeLeon Tequila, Bloomberg points out. Combs has been arrested in New York on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.