Kanye West

Antisemitic comments from US rapper has led to further industry backlash, as film is dropped and major talent agency CAA cuts ties.

[severed tied with West](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/kanye-wests-biggest-high-fashion-connection-has-cut-ties) following an appearance last week on the Drink Champs podcast. West then told the Drink Champs podcast: “I can literally say antisemitic shit, and they can’t drop me … Floyd’s daughter Roxie Washington has since [filed a $250m lawsuit](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/18/kanye-west-george-floyd-family-sues-drug-abuse-fentanyl-overdose) against West for defamation. I can say antisemitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Please support the boycott of Kanye West,” Zimmer wrote in a company-wide email. In a story posted to her Instagram, Kardashian wrote that hate speech is “never OK” or “excusable.” [condemned](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/us/los-angeles-demonstrators-kanye-west-antisemitic-remarks/index.html) demonstrations in support of West’s antisemitic comments, in which a small group of people made the Nazi salute by a freeway and held signs encouraging drivers to “honk if you know” alongside “Kanye is right about the Jews”. [mounted on sportswear company Adidas](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/pressure-mounts-on-adidas-to-cut-ties-with-kanye-west) to also separate from West, which had already put their business relationship with West [“under review”](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/07/business/kanye-west-adidas-partnership-review) following his [appearance in a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/oct/04/kanye-west-white-lives-matter-t-shirt-paris-fashion-week) during Paris fashion seek. Twitter removed the posts and suspended West’s account. [Andscape](https://andscape.com/features/exclusive-the-shop-pulls-episode-featuring-kanye-west/). Agency heads Ari Emanuel of Endeavor, Bob Gersh and UTA’s Jeremy Zimmer have all called for Hollywood companies to sever working relationships with West. [wrote in a statement](https://deadline.com/2022/10/kanye-west-documentary-scrapped-by-mrc-amid-anti-semitic-statements-company-leaders-speak-out-1235153382/#recipient_hashed=58e80303eb86ef6e1590496f3313a95182cb7e47e4431739bdb854b95b0768c7&recipient_salt=7e749829dd8fdacaf3affd4f51643a323740a6b6883a45b85c04133fdf95e512) on Monday.

The antisemitic outbursts and provocations by the artist now known as Ye have raised questions about how much offensive behavior companies are willing to ...

His remarks prompted outrage from the Floyd family and [an apology from the show’s host, N.O.R.E](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/19/entertainment/nore-kanye-west-george-floyd/index.html). Owens accompanied him to an interview with [TMZ Live](https://www.tmz.com/2018/05/01/kanye-west-tmz-live-slavery-trump/) the following month in which he called American slavery a “choice,” spurring outrage. [“The Life of Pablo,”](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/arts/music/kanye-west-life-of-pablo-review.html) was his latest No. While his Season 4 show on Roosevelt Island in September 2016 [proved a debacle](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/fashion/kanye-west-fashion-week-season-4.html), his potent combination of reality-TV celebrity, music stardom, sneaker success and establishment disruption was impossible to resist for an industry that often felt stuck in the last century. [pictures](https://www.balenciaga.com/en-us/summer-23) and [videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh_1K9s6UV0) of the show. Trump](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/arts/music/kanye-west-trump-conservatives.html); launched a quixotic campaign [for president](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/us/politics/kanye-west-president-2020.html) in 2020; and [split with Ms. Lawyers for Ye argued that Gap broke “contractual obligations.” Gap said it was “deciding to wind down the partnership.” Ye has suggested that he may open his own line of retail shops. [“Donda,”](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/31/arts/music/kanye-west-donda.html) he included industry pariahs like Marilyn Manson, who had been accused of sexual assault by multiple women, and DaBaby, who had made [homophobic remarks](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/01/arts/music/dababy-lollapalooza-canceled-homophobic-comments.html) and waffled about apologies. Abrams, the Anti-Defamation League’s regional director there, [released a statement](https://twitter.com/ADLSoCal/status/1584275380789051392?s=20&t=D9wkjsHUVjsVYBOzwojNIg) that concluded, “Decisive action against antisemitism by Adidas is long overdue.” Ye [ended his Yeezy Gap partnership](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/business/kanye-west-yeezy-gap.html) last month, before the latest controversies erupted, but in recent days Gap sent out promotional emails for the Yeezy Gap hoodie. In recent years he has been condemned for saying that Harriet Tubman “never actually freed the slaves” and that centuries of slavery had been “ [a choice](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/01/arts/music/kanye-west-charlamagne-interview-tmz.html)”; polarized fans with his [embrace of right-wing politics and former President Donald J. He [withdrew from headlining this year’s Coachella festival](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/06/arts/music/kanye-west-coachella-swedish-house-mafia-weeknd.html) just over a week before it began.

In light of his recent antisemitic comments, the studio behind the doc “cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.”

[Adidas](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/pressure-mounts-on-adidas-to-cut-ties-with-kanye-west)’s deal with the Yeezy line is “ [under review](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/07/business/kanye-west-adidas-partnership-review)” but has yet to be officially disbanded. [Balenciaga ended its partnership](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/kanye-wests-biggest-high-fashion-connection-has-cut-ties) with West on Friday. [White Lives Matter](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/kanye-west-the-white-lives-matter-gabriella-karefa-johnson)” shirt to Paris Fashion Week and made antisemitic comments in various forums. Oz’s Senate Campaign](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/10/dr-oz-dog-killing-pennsylvania-senate-race?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)? [Marriage Problems](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/tom-brady-gisele-bundchen-10-year-old-marriage-problems-going-on-forever-divorce?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)Are Reportedly “10 Years Old” UTA head Jeremy Zimmer sent a company-wide memo [urging a boycott of West](https://variety.com/2022/music/news/uta-kanye-west-boycott-jeremy-zimmer-letter-staff-1235412225/) on Sunday. They continued, “The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising. [Best Horror Movies](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/10/best-horror-movies?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)to Keep You Up at Night “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. JPMorgan Chase [reportedly](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/oct/14/kanye-west-bank-jp-morgan-chase-cuts-ties-with-rapper) dropped him prior to the comments and shirt. [Variety](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/kanye-west-documentary-canceled-antisemitic-comments-1235412625/) reports. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3,000 years—the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.”

After weeks of Kanye West making anti-Semitic and controversial remarks, companies including CAA and Balenciaga have severed ties with the rapper, ...

Demands for the brand to cut ties with West intensified over the weekend, when a small group of anti-Semitic protestors in Los Angeles were spotted holding signs that said “Kanye West was right about the Jews.” Members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus responded Monday by [saying](https://twitter.com/CAJewishCaucus/status/1584622685027328001?s=20&t=JjZP-zR_0gnIceLKf8bb4g) “any company—including Adidas—that continues to do business with Kanye West is party to this attack on Jews.” Music, is no longer linked to Def Jam, the [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/24/arts/music/kanye-west-adidas-balenciaga-yeezy.html?searchResultPosition=2) reported Monday. West was also restricted on Instagram after sharing a post in which he accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of being controlled by Jewish people. Last month, West ended what was supposed to be a 10-year-long partnership with Gap, after he accused them of breaking their contract. West has made repeated anti-Semitic remarks over the last month, including saying he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” a remark that got him restricted on Twitter. [Kim Kardashian Condemns Anti-Semitism As Kanye West Draws Backlash](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/24/kim-kardashian-condemns-anti-semitism-as-kanye-west-draws-backlash/?sh=22c8aad841dd) (Forbes) [Kanye West Anti-Semitism Backlash Gets More Powerful, Political—As Adidas Stays Mum](https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/10/24/kanye-west-antisemitism-backlash-gets-more-powerful-political-as-adidas-stays-mum/?sh=44d0a63e6921) (Forbes) [Kanye West’s Anti-Semitic, Controversial Behavior—Here’s Everything He’s Said In Recent Weeks](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/21/kanye-wests-anti-semitic-controversial-behavior-heres-everything-hes-said-in-recent-weeks/?sh=3393b99053f7) (Forbes) [Kanye West Dropped By Balenciaga—First Company To Sever Ties Amid Controversy](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/21/balenciaga-severs-ties-with-kanye-west/?sh=7093e9d06eda) (Forbes) As West began making inflammatory comments at the start of this month, it was reported bank JPMorgan Chase severed ties with him, but West was informed of the bank’s decision before his recent bizarre actions began, sources told the [called](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/20/anti-defamation-league-calls-on-adidas-to-drop-kanye-west-after-anti-semitic-remarks/?sh=2de77fc17c9c) on Adidas to drop West. [told](https://variety.com/2022/music/news/uta-kanye-west-boycott-jeremy-zimmer-letter-staff-1235412225/) staff in a memo on Sunday to “please support the boycott of Kanye West,” and the Endeavor talent agency’s CEO Ari Emanuel said companies that make money from West like Spotify and Apple should drop the rapper—though it's not clear what relationship the two companies have with West. [said](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/21/balenciaga-severs-ties-with-kanye-west/?sh=45fd4bfe6eda) Friday it “has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” making it the first major company to publicly cut ties. [Forbes reported Thursday](https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurendebter/2022/10/20/the-house-of-ye-chaos-antisemitism-white-lives-matter---and-steady-unbothered-sales/?sh=33c303d0374f), and his own label, G.O.O.D. [several](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/caa-cuts-ties-with-kanye-west-as-hollywood-boycott-calls-grow-1235247333/) [news](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2022-10-24/hollywood-talent-agency-caa-cuts-ties-with-ye-after-anti-semitic-tirade) [outlets](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/kanye-west-documentary-canceled-antisemitic-comments-1235412625/) reported Monday, citing unnamed sources.

Karen Bass, LA mayoral hopeful, told Adidas to sever ties with the rapper while talent agency CAA reportedly dropped him as a client.

On Monday a source told the Los Angeles Times that CAA, West’s talent agency, will no longer represent him. The heads of Hollywood’s top agencies have called for a boycott of West. “This will have real world consequences for the Jewish people.” The growing outrage over West’s comments does appear to be gaining traction. Where is the outrage?” He generated further outrage for wearing a “white lives matter” T-shirt during his runway show at Paris fashion week earlier this month.

"I can say antisemitic s*** and Adidas cannot drop me," Kanye West said during his now infamous tirade against Jews during the Drink Champs Podcast earlier ...

[Chick-Fil-A](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/22/business/chick-fil-a-gen-z-survey/index.html) is Gen Z’s most popular restaurant, according to the annual Piper Sandler survey of not-quite-16-year olds. [not dead yet](https://www.axios.com/2022/10/24/railroad-worker-possible-strike-sick-leave). (OK, most nights — we believe in a four-day work week around here.) [ Lego’s controversial packaging change](https://www.wsj.com/articles/lego-fanatics-come-apart-over-new-packaging-11666619022?mod=hp_featst_pos5), which makes it difficult for would-be collectors to identify what pieces are inside. [Rishi Sunak’s net worth](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/uk/profile-rishi-sunak-uk-politics-intl-gbr/index.html) is approaching the three comma club. [“What would a nation of sports gamblers look like?](https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-would-a-nation-of-sports-gamblers-look-like)” Jay Caspian Kang examines America’s booming new (old) industry. [ Kat Dennings,](https://twitter.com/OfficialKat/status/1584235920588349440?s=20&t=BgnK8w2vA20mSBazji3fNA) [Josh Gad ](https://twitter.com/joshgad/status/1584228687863349248?s=20&t=BgnK8w2vA20mSBazji3fNA)and [Meg Stalter](https://twitter.com/megstalter/status/1584418689956257792?s=20&t=Jr1lyEQ-02LcYPtBXTcqtg) condemned Adidas for sticking by West. Zuckerberg isn’t wrong, the economy of 2021 is now a distant memory. “Like many other companies in a zero rate world — Meta has drifted into the land of excess — too many people, too many ideas, too little urgency,” Gerstner wrote. — made his 2021 strategic shift possible in a way that might not have worked in 2022. “We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.” Now the scrutiny has shifted to the German sportswear giant and its long-standing partnership with the controversial artist.

Kanye West is not being scrubbed from Netflix in the wake of his anti-Semitic rants ... the streaming giant says the biopic on his life is staying put.

the streaming giant says the biopic on his life is staying put. [his recent anti-Semitic rants](https://www.tmz.com/2022/10/19/kanye-west-somewhat-apologizes-for-anti-semitic-comments/). [showed up](https://www.tmz.com/2022/02/12/kanye-west-party-biopic-jeen-yuhs-netflix-kim-kardashian-lookalike/) to the Los Angeles screening with Chaney Jones ...

Kanye West has been dropped by his high-profile lawyers in his divorce battle with Kim Kardashian following his anti-Semitic rants.

I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.” However, discussions have continued over finances and custody of their four kids: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. 12

Days after a fellow celebrity called her out for remaining publicly silent in the face of antisemitic comments made by her former husband Kanye West, ...

“Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” her statement read. [posted a video on his Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/p/CkCRtD1p_i7/?hl=en) questioning why Kardashian had not publicly addressed her ex’s behavior. [of her Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/kimkardashian/?hl=en) on Monday.

MRC Entertainment also told employees it was shelving a completed documentary on the rapper to avoid amplifying his platform.

Now, pressure is growing for Adidas to do the same after West went on a podcast and said, "The thing about me and Adidas is I can literally say antisemitic shit and they can't drop me. I can say antisemitic things and Adidas can't drop me. The tweet was removed for violating Twitter's policies. And during a fashion show in October, Ye also sported a "White Lives Matter" shirt alongside conservative pundit Candace Owens. The news was first We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” the memo reportedly stated.

MRC Entertainment has shelved a documentary about Kanye 'Ye' West after the rapper made a series of antisemitic remarks in recent weeks.

As leaders of this company (a Jew, a Muslim, and a Christian), we feel duty bound to say to all of you this is a pernicious, terrible use of false logic. The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising. The school is a historical bastion of liberalism and civil rights. It is brilliantly crafted, fast becoming part of mainstream thinking, and puts Jews in a terrible philosophical corner. “The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising,” the MRC statement read. This song was performed acapella in the time of the Pharaohs, Babylon and Rome, went acoustic with The Spanish Inquisition and Russia’s Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took the song electric. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3000 years - the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain. Lies are an important part of all discrimination, and this one is no different. But if the Jews are ultra-powerful because of secret evil plots, well, the argument is, it must be fair and ok.” “It’s critical to antisemites, who must explain why they are attacking a people that comprise less than half of one percent of the world’s population. “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. “Lies are an important part of all discrimination, and this one is no different.

Adidas is facing increased pressure from people online to cut ties with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after he made a string of antisemitic comments.

[on Twitter in a response to the clip](https://twitter.com/joshgad/status/1583556045808365570). It said it will also continue to sell forthcoming collections from Yeezy Gap in the fall and into the first half of 2023. Gap "Not sure why you are continuing to promote this collaboration. I don’t plan on shopping at your stores ever again." [severed ties](https://www.thecut.com/2022/10/balenciaga-has-cut-ties-with-ye.html) with him Friday. “Thousands of signatures, and still no word, @adidas?” he wrote. Asking for a friend." Their silence says it all." A recent completed documentary about Ye, made by the Hollywood financier and producer MRC, was also shelved. Representatives for both the company and Ye did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Local politicians, social media users and other celebrities denounced the incident.

The rapper has made controversial statements, including antisemitic social media posts in recent weeks, and has moved to cut ties with his corporate partners.

The Ye situation is one of many headaches for Adidas, which is searching for a new CEO to take over in 2023. and [Kering](https://fortune.com/company/kering) SA’s [Balenciaga](https://fortune.com/2022/10/21/kanye-west-balenciaga-antisemetic-comments-twitter-instagram/) fashion label in prematurely [cutting ties](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-21/balenciaga-severs-ties-with-kanye-west-after-antisemitic-posts) with West, who now goes by Ye. Meanwhile, Adidas has said it’s repeatedly tried and failed to resolve issues with Ye privately. [joins](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-15/gap-ends-partnership-with-kanye-west-s-yeezy-after-public-fight) [Gap](https://fortune.com/company/gap) Inc. The German company is of the view that it owns the intellectual property rights to the products from the collaboration and could continue producing the models, one of the people said. [Aaron Kirchfeld](https://fortune.com/author/aaron-kirchfeld/), [Tim Loh](https://fortune.com/author/tim-loh/), [Eyk Henning](https://fortune.com/author/eyk-henning/)and [Bloomberg](https://fortune.com/author/bloomberg/) [Adidas](https://fortune.com/company/adidas) AG is ending its partnership with Kanye West following a rash of [offensive behavior](https://fortune.com/2022/10/24/kanye-west-documentary-canceled-anti-semitic-remarks-ye/) from the rapper and designer that turned a once-thriving shoe brand into a [lightning rod for criticism](https://fortune.com/2022/10/24/i-can-say-anti-semitic-things-and-adidas-cant-drop-me-now-what-as-kanye-west-taunts-adidas-calls-grow-for-german-sportswear-giant-to-cut-ties/).