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Ye AKA Kanye West is continuing to suffer the implosion of his many business ties due to recent comments that were antisemitic at their core. As a result, many demanded that longtime collaborator adidas follow the same course as CAA and Balenciaga in cutting ties with the Chicago producer and designer, which occurred on Tuesday (Oct. 25).
On Twitter, adidas began trending with a number of individuals, including actors and other media figures, calling for the sports apparel and shoe brand to dissolve its connection with Ye starting this past weekend. One user pointed to the severe drop in stock value from the company as it had yet to make a decision on whether or not to continue working with Ye.
The industry backlash Ye is enduring at the moment came in the wake of a series of comments he made alleging that powerful Jewish figures control the upper echelon of the music and fashion industry, worlds that Ye has shown dominance within and racking up a fortune reportedly into the billions.
Over the past few weeks, Ye has had his social media footprint limited with restrictions on both his Twitter and Instagram accounts due to his comments via those channels. He also doubled down on his stances in a now-deleted episode of Drink Champs, and Ye also sat down with Fox News host, Tucker Carlson. Not surprisingly, a number of antisemitic protestors raised banners at an overpass on the 405 Freeway to show support for Ye.
United Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer issued a company-wide memo calling for others to boycott Ye over his antisemitism over the weekend. West was once repped by UTA before heading to the Creative Artist Agency, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Most industry experts expect other companies in tow with Ye to follow suit in cutting their business arrangements although adidas looked to be one of the last major holdouts. As The Washington Post reports, the company cut ties with Ye this morning and we’ll feature a portion of their statement below.
From adidas:
adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.
After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. adidas will stop the adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.
Beyond the antisemitic comments, Ye also made unfounded claims about the late George Floyd and the family of Floyd filed a $250 million lawsuit to address the matter. Ye also sided with the likes of Candace Owens, who recently released a documentary about the Black Lives Matter movement in a bid to disparage Floyd, the group, and the greater efforts of BLM.
On Twitter, the reaction has been intense and we’ve got those collected for your viewing below.
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Photo: Getty
