Kanye West is facing an increasingly backlash among California political leaders, entertainment industry figures and members of the Jewish community – who have called on Adidas to sever ties with the star – following his several anti-Semitic incidents in Los Angeles came after the artist made bigoted comments about Jewish people.
The fashion designer and rapper now known as Ye has been spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in interviews and on social media for weeks. He caused further outrage for wearing a ‘white lives matter’ t-shirt during his show at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month.
On Monday, several politicians — including LA congresswoman and mayoral candidate Karen Bass and Scott Weiner, state senator and vice chairman of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus — condemned Ye’s behavior and urged the sportswear brand to sever ties with him.
They referred to an incident over the weekend in which protesters on a freeway overpass were pictured saluting Nazis with banners referencing anti-Semitic comments made by Ye. Additionally, Los Angeles police are investigating a recent distribution in the city of fliers spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
“We must all condemn the hate spewed by Kanye West, which has real consequences that we saw in Los Angeles this weekend,” Bass said. said on Twitter. “Until they cut ties, Adidas is enabling and funding their hate – they must act now.”
Ye has a history of courting controversy, including running for president in 2020 and claims slavery was a “choice”. But Ye, who is bipolar, suffered relatively little repercussion from past comments.
His latest comments, however, sparked a widespread backlash, including calls for a boycott of Ye, and led Instagram and Twitter to suspend his accounts.
“In a short time, Ye has become the most well-known, most heard and most brazen anti-Semite on the planet. Where is the outrage? said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. “This will have real consequences for the Jewish people.”
Greenblatt also challenged the sports brand, tweeting: “Thousands of signatures, and still no word, @adidas? Your silence is a danger to the Jews.
The chorus of outrage over Ye’s comments seems to be gaining momentum. The heads of top Hollywood agencies have called for a boycott of Ye. In a memo to staff, UTA chief Jeremy Zimmer, who previously represented the rapper, wrote that his comments “embolden others to amplify their vile beliefs,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A source told the Los Angeles Times on Monday that CAA, Ye’s talent agency, will no longer be representing him. Ari Emanuel, CEO of entertainment agency Endeavour, wrote in the Financial Times: “Those who continue to do business with West are giving an audience to his misguided hatred. There should be no tolerance anywhere for the West’s anti-Semitism.
Balenciaga, The Gap and JP Morgan also ended their relationship with Ye, the newspaper reported. A documentary about the star has also been shelved.
Kim Kardashian, Ye’s ex-wife whom he was accused of publicly harassing this year following their divorce, condemned anti-Semitism on Monday, in what appears to be a reference to the artist’s comments .
“Hate speech is never acceptable or excusable. I stand with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric against them to stop immediately,” she said on Twitter.
Adidas announced several weeks ago that it was reviewing its relationship with Ye after he was reportedly unhappy with the way the brand was marketing its products.
“After repeated efforts to resolve the situation privately, we have made the decision to submit the partnership for review,” Adidas said in a statement in early October. The entertainer was associated with Nike for years but parted ways in 2013, lending his name to Adidas as they launched their first Yeezy shoe together in 2015 – a partnership that made him a billionaire.
Reuters contributed reporting
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