Adidas has reached a settlement with American rapper Kanye West, after his anti-Semitic comments prompted Adidas to cut ties with the famous star, the brand announced on Tuesday.
“There were tensions over many issues [but]“Both sides said we don’t need to fight anymore,” Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden told the BBC.
Anti-Semitic publications of the West
In October 2022, Adidas announced an immediate end to its partnership with West following the artist and designer’s offensive behavior and anti-Semitic comments.
“Adidas does not tolerate anti-Semitism and any other type of hate speech,” the company wrote in a statement. “[West]The company’s recent comments and actions were unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and violate the company’s values of diversity, inclusion, mutual respect and fairness. North Charleston, South Carolina, US July 19, 2020. (Credit: Randall Hill/Reuters)
The rapper’s X/Twitter and Instagram accounts were subsequently restricted, with the social media platforms saying they had removed his posts that were condemned by users online as anti-Semitic.
Adidas has since discontinued West’s Yeezy collection, and the BBC reported that the brand plans to end selling the shoes at the stock price by the end of 2024.
In December, West issued an apology written in Hebrew on Instagram regarding his past behavior, and earlier in 2024, he declined to comment on the war between Israel and Hamas when asked by a fan on X.
He added: “I don’t have enough information about that.” “There’s love for everyone, but don’t bring me into that conversation.”
