Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ entourage was stopped by French customs for trying to bring too much of the music mogul’s beloved vodka into the country to lubricate his lavish St. Tropez parties.
Diddy’s staffers were caught by officers at Nice’s Cote d’Azur airport trying to bring a too-large stash of his Ciroc vodka in after they jetted in from the US late last week.
Combs’ rep confirmed last night that the staffers — who were ordered to make sure the booze was on hand for his appearances at several St. Tropez nightclubs last weekend — were forced to leave bottles behind with airport security. Diddy was not with them at the time.
A source told us, “His entourage was stopped at customs for having too much of the product. So Diddy’s people left a few cases with airport agents.” Another source insisted they left half a dozen bottles behind.
While Ciroc is produced in France, it seems to be a scarce commodity and is not widely available on the Riviera. According to several sources, St. Tropez hot spots including VIP club and Gotha club had to fly in cases for Diddy’s appearances.
But his staff nearly got into a sticky situation because French customs only allows each traveler to bring in 1 liter of spirits over 44 proof. His vodka is 80 proof and comes in 750 ml and 1.75 liter bottles.
Diddy is currently on a European party tour to promote the vodka brand, a duty which is a part of his $100 million marketing deal with the company. And he was so insistent on Ciroc being a part of the festivities, sources said he almost canceled an appearance at swanky Gotha in Cannes Friday night when he heard the venue was stocked with a rival vodka. But the club swapped it and Diddy appeared as promised.
When asked about the customs snafu, a Diddy rep said, “The bulk of what you have is true . . . Sean is hosting events throughout the French Riviera to promote the ultra-premium vodka.”