Blog: First Hollywood, then sweatshops

Leonie Barrie | 29 October 2003

Just as one Hollywood celebrity goes out of his way to distance himself from sweatshops, it seems another is only too keen to track them down. Hip-hop music and fashion entrepreneur Sean Combs today defended his Sean John clothing line against accusations that it is produced in a "sweatshop" in Honduras. Meanwhile, actress Minnie Driver has told a London newspaper she is going to work in a sweatshop in Cambodia to highlight how Western clothing companies use "slave labour" in Third World countries.

Just quite how the Driver plans to work undercover in Phnom Penh remains to be seen. And what will she do with the information she uncovers? Combs, who performs as "P Diddy," said his company's compliance officer had made five inspections of the accused garment plant this year but had not found any proof of wrongdoing. He is also under pressure from the National Labor Committee – which brought about the initial allegation - not to terminate his clothing line’s relationship with the factory should any violation of labour laws be discovered. Instead of taking his business away, which would cost jobs, he should demand better working conditions it says.