Adidas severed ties with Kanye West after facing mounting pressure to do so in the wake of the rapper’s bizarre anti-Semitic outbursts and public meltdowns.
The apparel brand, who announced last week their 10-year relationship with West was “under review,” said that it “does not “tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.”
Adidas Statement
“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."
Adidas is the latest high-profile brand, including Balenciaga and Vogue, to cut ties or reconsider their relationships with the rapper-turned-designer following his slew of controversial remarks in recent weeks.
The shoemaker’s decision came after they faced heavy backlash for staying silent when the outrage against West first erupted.
Some accused the retailer of putting profits over ethics for not publicly condemning the 45-year-old’s string of anti-Semitic tweets. The #boycottadidas hashtag also started trending at one point.
West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, has been releasing his Yeezy sneaker lines with Adidas since 2015.
Upcoming Yeezy collections, which are set to retail between $200-$300, are already scheduled to drop later this year.
Ending the partnership and the production of Yeezy branded products, as well as stopping all payments to Ye and his companies will have a short-term negative impact of up to $250 million on Adidas’ net income this year.
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