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Adidas ends deal with Kanye West over antisemitic comments

today25/10/2022 95

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Adidas has announced that it will be ending its 6-year partnership with Kanye West.

The German sportswear brand has been under intense pressure to end its “Yeezy” collaboration following a string of anti-semitic and offensive comments from the fashion designer and rapper.

West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, was banned from Twitter and Instagram earlier this month following an anti-semitic rant, with one post claiming Sean “Diddy” Combs is “controlled by Jewish people.”

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Ye has since been dropped by Def Jam records, his talent agency — which has resulted in a documentary on him being shelved, and his lawyer Camille Vasquez.

In a statement posted on its website, Adidas confirmed that the partnership has ended as of “immediately,” and that it “does not tolerate anti-Semitism and any other sort of hate speech.”

Calling Ye’s recent comments: “Unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.”

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Adidas confirmed it will crease the “production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.”

In its statement, Adidas confirmed that the dissolution of the Yeezy partnership would cause a “250 million” loss for 2022.

The brand had previously put the partnership “under review” after Ye had appeared at Paris Fashion Week wearing a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt, joined by conservative commentator Candace Owens.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag’s Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter

Written by: Tim Hopkins

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