Adidas reaches agreement with Kanye West after anti-Semitic comments

Adidas has reached a settlement with American rapper Kanye West after his anti-Semitic comments led to Adidas cutting ties with the star, the brand announced on Tuesday.

“There were tensions on many issues (but) … both parties said we don’t need to fight anymore,” Adidas boss Björn Gulden said and was quoted by BBC.

West’s anti-Semitic contributions

In October 2022, Adidas announced the immediate end of its partnership with West following the artist and designer’s offensive behavior and anti-Semitic statements.

“Adidas does not tolerate anti-Semitism or any other type of hate speech,” the company wrote in a statement. “(West)’s recent comments and actions were unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”

Rapper Kanye West makes a point as he holds his first rally in support of his presidential candidacy on July 19, 2020 in North Charleston, South Carolina, USA. (Source: RANDALL HILL/REUTERS)

Afterwards, the rapper’s X/Twitter and Instagram accounts were suspended, and the social media platforms said they removed his posts, which online users condemned as anti-Semitic.

Adidas has since discontinued West’s Yeezy collection and BBC reported that the brand plans to complete the sale of the shoes at the share price by the end of 2024.

In December, West apologized in writing in Hebrew on Instagram for his past behavior, and in early 2024 he declined to comment on the Israel-Hamas war when asked by a fan on X.

“I don’t have enough information about it,” he said. “There is love for everyone, but don’t drag me into this conversation.”

West’s anti-Semitic contributions

Related Posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply