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Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, is no stranger to controversies. Ye began a partnership with the German sneaker and apparel company Adidas in 2013. In 2016, the rapper signed a deal with the brand to manufacture products for his Yeezy clothing line.
On October 25, 2022, Adidas ended its long-standing lucrative partnership with Ye after the rapper's antisemitic comments elicited widespread backlash from several Jewish-rights groups.
Five key developments in Kanye West X Adidas rift
1) Kanye's social media tirade against Adidas
Ye's rift with Adidas began on August 31, 2022, when the rapper took to Instagram to elaborate on his feud with the company:
“Adidas made up the Yeezy Day idea without my approval then went and brought back older styles without my approval picked colors and named them without my approval went and hired people that worked for me without my approval stole my colorways without my approval stole my styles and material approaches without my approval and hired a gm of Yeezy without my approval took talent on the production side and sprinkled them throughout Adidas Originals without my approval.”
On September 2, 2022, Kanye specifically targeted Adidas' Senior Vice President and General Manager Daniel Cherry III and CEO Kasper Rorsted in an Instagram post, stating:
“Hi my name is DC I was hired by the recently deceased Kasper without YE's knowledge to run the most culturally influential brand in the world.”
Ye also posted a doctored image of a New York Times front page falsely claiming Rorsted had died.
2) Kanye wore a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt at the Paris Fashion Week
Earlier this month, Kanye added fuel to the controversies by organizing a "secret" catwalk event at Paris Fashion Week, which included a t-shirt with a photo of Pope John Paul II on the front and the slogan "White Lives Matter" at the back. Ye and his guest Candace Owens, a right-wing commentator, also wore the shirt.
The Anti-Defamation League has categorized the phrase, White Lives Matter, coined by white supremacist groups as a counter-response to the Black Lives Matter movement, as a hate slogan.
Following the event, Adidas stated that it is reviewing its Yeezy partnership with Kanye West:
“After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
3) Kanye made a series of antisemitic statements
Kanye made antisemitic comments during a Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson, where he accused Jared Kushner of making money in the Middle East and facilitating the Abraham Accords when he served as a White House advisor during the Trump administration:
“I just think that's what they're about, is making money. I don't think that they have the ability to make anything on their own. I think they were born into money.”
When rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs attempted to explain to Ye that his actions were hurting people, especially the African-American community, Ye stirred the controversy further by replying:
“This ain't a game. Ima use you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me. I told you this was war.”
This led to Instagram restricting his account. Kanye then took to Twitter to spew antisemitic comments, saying he was "going death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE." Following this, Twitter also blocked his account for violating its guidelines.
On October 15, 2022, Kanye made his third appearance on rap-veteran NORE's podcast, Drink Champs. During the episode, Ye made a series of unfounded statements, which included the false claim that George Floyd was killed by a fentanyl overdose rather than by the police. He also made antisemitic statements claiming that Jewish people predominantly owned the "black voice."
He further stated:
“I can say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can't drop me. Now what?”
4) Adidas cuts ties with Kanye
Kanye's comments led to a social media campaign and a Change.org petition, set up by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, that demanded Adidas cut ties with Ye. After facing immense pressure from the public and its employees, as well as organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, StopAntisemistism.org, and the International Legal Forum, Adidas finally severed ties with Ye on October 25, 2022.
The company stated:
“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.”
The company further 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.”
5) Effects of Adidas cutting off ties with Kanye
According to The New York Times, the mutually lucrative Adidas Yeezy deal is estimated to be worth billions. Adidas' decision to cut ties with Ye will cost him his billionaire status. According to Forbes, Kanye's net worth dropped from $2 billion to $400 million because of Adidas' decision to cut ties.
The sportswear honcho stated that the deal's end would have a short-term negative impact of up to 250 million euros ($246 million) on their net income in 2022.
Kanye West was also dropped by his talent agency CAA, fashion brand Balenciaga, and bank JP Morgan. The clothing company Gap Inc, which already terminated its tie-up with Ye in September, will immediately remove Yeezy Gap products from its stores. Madame Tussauds of London has also removed the wax figure of Ye from public view.
Ye will be buying Parler, a Twitter-like social media app, to ensure that people with conservative opinions "have the right to freely express (them)selves" online.
