Kanye West continues to be dropped by major brands as the backlash against his antisemitic comments grows greater.
The “Famous” artist made headlines on October 8 after tweeting, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
The reaction to West’s message was swift. Twitter deleted the tweet and he was temporarily banned from the platform. Instagram also restricted his account. Dozens of celebrities — including his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian — lambasted the Yeezy designer’s words and condemned the hateful rhetoric.
Days after his initial tweet, West appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored where he apologized to “the people that I hurt” with the message — but stated that he did not regret the remarks.
“I will say I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the ‘death con’ [comments]. I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through, and that I used my platform where you say hurt people hurt people,” the “Jesus Walks” artist shared at the time. “I was hurt.”
Still, West said, he “absolutely” did not regret the comments. “Yes, I fought fire with fire,” he stated. “I’m not here to get hosed down. It’s a different type of freedom fighter.”
In the wake of the backlash — which itself came on the heels of West’s Paris Fashion Week 2022 drama — the “Gold Digger” rapper was dropped by multiple brands he’s worked with for years.
Top Hollywood agency CAA (Creative Artists Agency) cut ties with West after his repeated antisemitic remarks. “I can confirm that Kanye is not a client,” a rep for the company told CNBC on October 24.
The same day, MRC executives — the studio behind an upcoming documentary about West — announced that the project will be shelved.
“This morning, after discussion with our filmmakers and distribution partners, we made the decision not to proceed with any distribution for our recently completed documentary about Kanye West. We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley said at the time, per Variety. “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. 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.”
One brand that didn’t immediately sever ties with the rapper was Adidas, which announced that their partnership with West is “under review” in a statement shared prior to the Grammy winner’s antisemitic remarks. (The statement was made after his “White Lives Matter” T-shirt controversy during Paris Fashion Week, during which he also slammed a Vogue reporter. The magazine is yet another brand to end their relationship with West since the controversy.)
Weeks after Adidas’ statement, West claimed that the company wouldn’t drop him in the aftermath of the scandal.
“I can literally say antisemitic s—t to Adidas and they can’t drop me,” he said in a video shared via social media.
Days later, however, the company denounced his remarks, calling them “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.” The statement continued: “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.”
Keep scrolling for more details on the fallout from West’s antisemitic remarks: