Adidas has ended its partnership with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West following the star's antisemitic outbursts. The German sportswear giant said it was ending production of its popular Yeezy branded products, produced in collaboration with Ye, with “immediate effect”.
Adidas had faced criticism over its failure to act following Ye's antisemitic remarks made on social media, which saw him restricted from posting on Twitter and Instagram. Now the company has acted, saying: "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.” Adidas said it expected the decision to have a “short-term negative impact of up to 250 million euro on the company’s net income in 2022 given the high seasonality of the fourth quarter”.
Ye continues to face the consequences of his antisemtic comments, which have already led to a documentary about him being shelved. He was dropped by talent agency CAA over the hate speech and the Balenciaga fashion house also cut ties with Ye last week, according to reports.
West was criticised earlier this month for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to the showing of his latest collection at Paris Fashion Week. In the last few days, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and members of her family have called for an end to the “terrible violence and hateful rhetoric” towards the Jewish community.
In Los Angeles on Sunday, demonstrators in Los Angeles unfurled banners praising West for his antisemitic public statements.
