Kanye West’s Twitter and Instagram accounts have been restricted following the controversy
(Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)Rapper and fashion designer Kanye West has made several antisemitic remarks over the past month - and several brands have severed ties with him as a result.
His remarks, including saying he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people”, have led to his Twitter and Instagram accounts being restricted.
Last weekend, a small group of antisemitic protesters in Los Angeles was spotted holding signs that said “Kanye West was right about the Jews”.
Adidas, which is responsible for a large portion of the artist’s wealth, said a few weeks ago it was reviewing its relationship with West. After demands for the German sportswear brand to end its association with the rapper and pressure from the Anti-Defamation League, it announced it was cutting ties with West.
On Thursday (October 27), West was escorted from Skechers’ corporate office in Los Angeles after arriving “unannounced and uninvited”, according to the shoe brand.
Skechers added that it has “no intention” of working with the 45-year-old and condemned his “recent divisive remarks”.
So how many brands have ditched the rapper so far?
Brands that have dropped Kanye West
Def Jam and his own label, G.O.O.D. Music
Forbes previously reported West was no longer with his long-time record label Def Jam. His own label, G.O.O.D. Music, is also no longer associated with Def Jam, according to the New York Times.
Adidas
Sportswear giant Adidas announced it was cutting ties with the rapper, saying West’s “recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous”.
It added: “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.”
Gap
West previously accused Gap of breaking their contract and, as a result, the high-street fashion brand severed its 10-year partnership in September. But the retailer issued a statement saying it had shut down its Yeezy-branded website this week and is “taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores,” as “antisemitism, racism, and hate in any form are inexcusable and not tolerated in accordance with our values”.
Balenciaga
Luxury fashion house Balenciaga was the first major company to cut ties with West amid the controversy. It said that it “no longer has any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist”.
MRC
MRC, a film production studio, revealed it had a completed documentary of West but will not be airing it, saying: “We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.”
Foot Locker
On Tuesday, the shoe brand said it would remain a partner of Adidas, Ye’s former footwear backer, but would not stock Yeezy products going forward.
“We will not be supporting any future Yeezy product drops, and we have instructed our retail operators to pull any existing product from our shelves and digital sites,” the company told CNN.
The move is a potentially damaging one for West’s hopes of sustaining his fashion empire without Adidas’s infrastructure. It would force the artist to sell directly to consumers rather than through one of the shoe world’s top retailers.
Peloton
Exercise instructor Alex Toussaint told Peloton members on Monday that his classes would no longer include Ye’s music.
The platform followed suit on Tuesday, telling members that it “indefinitely paused” the use of Ye’s music in workouts.
“This means our instructors are no longer using his music in any newly produced classes and we are not suggesting any class that includes his music in our proactive recommendations to members,” the company said.
Apple Music
Kanye West’s Essentials Playlist appeared to have been removed from Apple Music.
The streaming giant has not yet commented on the removal.
TJMaxx
TJMaxx’s parent company TJX announced on Wednesday that it would direct its purchasing group to avoid Ye merchandise.
“At TJX, we do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or hate of any kind. We have instructed our buying teams not to purchase this merchandise for sale in any of our stores globally,” the company said in a statement.
