Kanye West is the center of attention yet again as Adidas has now canceled and severed all relations with him. There is a lot to unpack concerning West’s behavior ever since his split with Kim Kardashian, but what’s going on? Why did Adidas cancel Kanye West and their deal with him? Keep reading to be updated on the biggest issue in pop culture right now.
So far, Adidas is not the only one who canceled all business relations with Ye, the legal name of West since last year. Following Adidas’ decision last Tuesday, both Gap and Foot Locker will also stop selling Yeezy products at their stores.
What happened between Kanye West and Adidas?
Things began looking bleak between Kanye West and Adidas a few weeks ago because of the rapper’s questionable decisions and comments. Aside from wearing a shirt with the words “White Lives Matter” printed on it, Ye also made antisemitic remarks on interviews and social media.
- The slogan “White Lives Matter” is what white supremacists use to counter the “Black Lives Matter” movement. It is considered hate speech by the Anti-Defamation League
- Ye also said in a podcast that George Floyd’s death was because of a fentanyl overdose. In reality, Floyd died because he couldn’t breathe after the police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck
- The last straw for Ye’s unacceptable behavior and remarks was when he made antisemitic remarks
Ye’s antisemitic remarks
For those who don’t know what antisemitism is, it is the hatred of Jewish people. Before Twitter blocked his account, Ye had this to say about Jewish people: “I’m going death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE”
Instagram also blocked Ye’s account from the platform after he posted about Jewish people on there, too. In his post, he claims and accuses P. Diddy of being controlled by the Jewish people.
On October 16, Ye proudly stated that he “can say antisemitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?” Both civilians and employees of Adidas were calling for the sportswear company to cut ties with Kanye West, especially since the company is originally from Germany.
Adidas finally drops Kanye West
On Tuesday, Adidas announced to the public that they are no longer moving forward with their partnership with the rapper. You can read the full statement here.
- In the statement, Adidas opens with a powerful message of not tolerating “antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.” They condemned Ye’s actions and comments in the past weeks and say that they go against Adidas’ values
- Adidas will “end production of Yeezy branded products” and they will also “stop all payments to Ye and his companies.” All of this will take effect immediately
- According to Forbes, Ye has lost his billionaire status now that he no longer has a partnership with Adidas. His net worth has reportedly dropped to $400 million USD after everything that has happened this week
Brands and companies no longer associated with Ye
Here is a list of brands and companies that have since cut ties with Ye after his unacceptable and hateful behavior:
- Adidas
- Balenciaga
- Creative Artists Agencies (CAA)
- Cohen Clair Lans Greifer Thorpe & Rottenstreich (law firm)
- Foot Locker
- Gap
- JPMorgan Chase
- MRC
- United Talent Agency
As for social media, his accounts are no longer active on both Twitter and Instagram.
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