Los Angeles: Sports brand Adidas has ended its partnership with rapper Kanye West after he made controversial anti-Semitic comments. Adidas is one of the many brands cutting ties with West over the issue.
The brand is estimating that Kanye's statements will affect its bottom line by up to $246 million this year alone, reported Variety. "Adidas does not tolerate anti-Semitism 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," said the brand's official statement.
The rapper has made repeated objectionable comments about the Jewish community in recent weeks. First, he posted on social media that he plans to go "death con 3 on Jewish people." Later, he appeared on Revolt TV's "Drink Champs" talk show and made a long, angry anti-semitic speech. After this, a white supremacist group hung a banner reading "Kanye is right about the Jews" above a freeway.
Kanye West's partnership with Adidas goes back seven years when they collaborated for a line called Adidas Yeezy. The brand told Variety that the statements made by the rapper have been reviewed. "After undertaking a thorough review, the brand decided to end the partnership, stop producing Yeezy-branded products, and cancel all payments to his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect."
The sports company also clarified that it is the "sole owner of all design rights" under the partnership which means the rapper cannot reproduce the designs with a new manufacturer.