Adidas terminates partnership with Kanye West over his antisemitic remarks
File photo of Kanye West
Sportswear giant Adidas has ended its partnership with Ye, also known as Kanye West with 'immediate effect'. The brand issued a statement announcing its decision. It comes as a reaction to West's recent antisemitic comments.
The sportswear brand issued a statement on Tuesday and said it "does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech” and said that his recent comments were “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.”
Adidas said West's views violated the company’s “values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
The termination of partnership will result in a loss of USD 246 for the brand in its fourth-quarter sales. The production and sales of his Yeezy products have stopped as well as payments to West and his companies.
West partnered with Adidas in 2013, when he ended his relationship with rival brand Nike. In 2016, the brand expanded its relationship with the rapper calling it the most expensive partnership it has had with a non-athlete.
Earlier this month, it announced that it was putting the partnership under review after he wore 'White live Matter'T-shirt during Paris Fashion Week.
A few days later West had said he should say "antisemitic s***" and Adidas could not drop him. The rapper mentioned the brand during a tirade against Jews in a podcast. He also threatened on Twitter to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
Adidas is not the first brand to have cut ties with the rapper. Balenciaga and Vogue to have earlier cut ties with West over his controversial remarks. On Monday, talent agency CAA dropped West as a client. Production company MRC said that it’s shelving a documentary on West.
