Kanye West

Antisemitic comments from US rapper has led to further industry backlash, as film is dropped and major talent agency CAA cuts ties.

[severed tied with West](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/kanye-wests-biggest-high-fashion-connection-has-cut-ties) following an appearance last week on the Drink Champs podcast. West then told the Drink Champs podcast: “I can literally say antisemitic shit, and they can’t drop me … Floyd’s daughter Roxie Washington has since [filed a $250m lawsuit](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/18/kanye-west-george-floyd-family-sues-drug-abuse-fentanyl-overdose) against West for defamation. I can say antisemitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Please support the boycott of Kanye West,” Zimmer wrote in a company-wide email. In a story posted to her Instagram, Kardashian wrote that hate speech is “never OK” or “excusable.” [condemned](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/us/los-angeles-demonstrators-kanye-west-antisemitic-remarks/index.html) demonstrations in support of West’s antisemitic comments, in which a small group of people made the Nazi salute by a freeway and held signs encouraging drivers to “honk if you know” alongside “Kanye is right about the Jews”. [mounted on sportswear company Adidas](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/pressure-mounts-on-adidas-to-cut-ties-with-kanye-west) to also separate from West, which had already put their business relationship with West [“under review”](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/07/business/kanye-west-adidas-partnership-review) following his [appearance in a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/oct/04/kanye-west-white-lives-matter-t-shirt-paris-fashion-week) during Paris fashion seek. Twitter removed the posts and suspended West’s account. [Andscape](https://andscape.com/features/exclusive-the-shop-pulls-episode-featuring-kanye-west/). Agency heads Ari Emanuel of Endeavor, Bob Gersh and UTA’s Jeremy Zimmer have all called for Hollywood companies to sever working relationships with West. [wrote in a statement](https://deadline.com/2022/10/kanye-west-documentary-scrapped-by-mrc-amid-anti-semitic-statements-company-leaders-speak-out-1235153382/#recipient_hashed=58e80303eb86ef6e1590496f3313a95182cb7e47e4431739bdb854b95b0768c7&recipient_salt=7e749829dd8fdacaf3affd4f51643a323740a6b6883a45b85c04133fdf95e512) on Monday.

The antisemitic outbursts and provocations by the artist now known as Ye have raised questions about how much offensive behavior companies are willing to ...

His remarks prompted outrage from the Floyd family and [an apology from the show’s host, N.O.R.E](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/19/entertainment/nore-kanye-west-george-floyd/index.html). Owens accompanied him to an interview with [TMZ Live](https://www.tmz.com/2018/05/01/kanye-west-tmz-live-slavery-trump/) the following month in which he called American slavery a “choice,” spurring outrage. [“The Life of Pablo,”](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/arts/music/kanye-west-life-of-pablo-review.html) was his latest No. While his Season 4 show on Roosevelt Island in September 2016 [proved a debacle](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/fashion/kanye-west-fashion-week-season-4.html), his potent combination of reality-TV celebrity, music stardom, sneaker success and establishment disruption was impossible to resist for an industry that often felt stuck in the last century. [pictures](https://www.balenciaga.com/en-us/summer-23) and [videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh_1K9s6UV0) of the show. Trump](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/arts/music/kanye-west-trump-conservatives.html); launched a quixotic campaign [for president](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/us/politics/kanye-west-president-2020.html) in 2020; and [split with Ms. Lawyers for Ye argued that Gap broke “contractual obligations.” Gap said it was “deciding to wind down the partnership.” Ye has suggested that he may open his own line of retail shops. [“Donda,”](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/31/arts/music/kanye-west-donda.html) he included industry pariahs like Marilyn Manson, who had been accused of sexual assault by multiple women, and DaBaby, who had made [homophobic remarks](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/01/arts/music/dababy-lollapalooza-canceled-homophobic-comments.html) and waffled about apologies. Abrams, the Anti-Defamation League’s regional director there, [released a statement](https://twitter.com/ADLSoCal/status/1584275380789051392?s=20&t=D9wkjsHUVjsVYBOzwojNIg) that concluded, “Decisive action against antisemitism by Adidas is long overdue.” Ye [ended his Yeezy Gap partnership](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/business/kanye-west-yeezy-gap.html) last month, before the latest controversies erupted, but in recent days Gap sent out promotional emails for the Yeezy Gap hoodie. In recent years he has been condemned for saying that Harriet Tubman “never actually freed the slaves” and that centuries of slavery had been “ [a choice](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/01/arts/music/kanye-west-charlamagne-interview-tmz.html)”; polarized fans with his [embrace of right-wing politics and former President Donald J. He [withdrew from headlining this year’s Coachella festival](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/06/arts/music/kanye-west-coachella-swedish-house-mafia-weeknd.html) just over a week before it began.

In light of his recent antisemitic comments, the studio behind the doc “cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.”

[Adidas](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/pressure-mounts-on-adidas-to-cut-ties-with-kanye-west)’s deal with the Yeezy line is “ [under review](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/07/business/kanye-west-adidas-partnership-review)” but has yet to be officially disbanded. [Balenciaga ended its partnership](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/kanye-wests-biggest-high-fashion-connection-has-cut-ties) with West on Friday. [White Lives Matter](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/kanye-west-the-white-lives-matter-gabriella-karefa-johnson)” shirt to Paris Fashion Week and made antisemitic comments in various forums. Oz’s Senate Campaign](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/10/dr-oz-dog-killing-pennsylvania-senate-race?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)? [Marriage Problems](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/10/tom-brady-gisele-bundchen-10-year-old-marriage-problems-going-on-forever-divorce?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)Are Reportedly “10 Years Old” UTA head Jeremy Zimmer sent a company-wide memo [urging a boycott of West](https://variety.com/2022/music/news/uta-kanye-west-boycott-jeremy-zimmer-letter-staff-1235412225/) on Sunday. They continued, “The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising. [Best Horror Movies](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/10/best-horror-movies?itm_content=footer-recirc&itm_campaign=more-great-stories-101122)to Keep You Up at Night “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. JPMorgan Chase [reportedly](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/oct/14/kanye-west-bank-jp-morgan-chase-cuts-ties-with-rapper) dropped him prior to the comments and shirt. [Variety](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/kanye-west-documentary-canceled-antisemitic-comments-1235412625/) reports. 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.”

After weeks of Kanye West making anti-Semitic and controversial remarks, companies including CAA and Balenciaga have severed ties with the rapper, ...

Demands for the brand to cut ties with West intensified over the weekend, when a small group of anti-Semitic protestors in Los Angeles were spotted holding signs that said “Kanye West was right about the Jews.” Members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus responded Monday by [saying](https://twitter.com/CAJewishCaucus/status/1584622685027328001?s=20&t=JjZP-zR_0gnIceLKf8bb4g) “any company—including Adidas—that continues to do business with Kanye West is party to this attack on Jews.” Music, is no longer linked to Def Jam, the [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/24/arts/music/kanye-west-adidas-balenciaga-yeezy.html?searchResultPosition=2) reported Monday. West was also restricted on Instagram after sharing a post in which he accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of being controlled by Jewish people. Last month, West ended what was supposed to be a 10-year-long partnership with Gap, after he accused them of breaking their contract. West has made repeated anti-Semitic remarks over the last month, including saying he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” a remark that got him restricted on Twitter. [Kim Kardashian Condemns Anti-Semitism As Kanye West Draws Backlash](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/24/kim-kardashian-condemns-anti-semitism-as-kanye-west-draws-backlash/?sh=22c8aad841dd) (Forbes) [Kanye West Anti-Semitism Backlash Gets More Powerful, Political—As Adidas Stays Mum](https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/10/24/kanye-west-antisemitism-backlash-gets-more-powerful-political-as-adidas-stays-mum/?sh=44d0a63e6921) (Forbes) [Kanye West’s Anti-Semitic, Controversial Behavior—Here’s Everything He’s Said In Recent Weeks](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/21/kanye-wests-anti-semitic-controversial-behavior-heres-everything-hes-said-in-recent-weeks/?sh=3393b99053f7) (Forbes) [Kanye West Dropped By Balenciaga—First Company To Sever Ties Amid Controversy](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/21/balenciaga-severs-ties-with-kanye-west/?sh=7093e9d06eda) (Forbes) As West began making inflammatory comments at the start of this month, it was reported bank JPMorgan Chase severed ties with him, but West was informed of the bank’s decision before his recent bizarre actions began, sources told the [called](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/20/anti-defamation-league-calls-on-adidas-to-drop-kanye-west-after-anti-semitic-remarks/?sh=2de77fc17c9c) on Adidas to drop West. [told](https://variety.com/2022/music/news/uta-kanye-west-boycott-jeremy-zimmer-letter-staff-1235412225/) staff in a memo on Sunday to “please support the boycott of Kanye West,” and the Endeavor talent agency’s CEO Ari Emanuel said companies that make money from West like Spotify and Apple should drop the rapper—though it's not clear what relationship the two companies have with West. [said](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/21/balenciaga-severs-ties-with-kanye-west/?sh=45fd4bfe6eda) Friday it “has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” making it the first major company to publicly cut ties. [Forbes reported Thursday](https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurendebter/2022/10/20/the-house-of-ye-chaos-antisemitism-white-lives-matter---and-steady-unbothered-sales/?sh=33c303d0374f), and his own label, G.O.O.D. [several](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/caa-cuts-ties-with-kanye-west-as-hollywood-boycott-calls-grow-1235247333/) [news](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2022-10-24/hollywood-talent-agency-caa-cuts-ties-with-ye-after-anti-semitic-tirade) [outlets](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/kanye-west-documentary-canceled-antisemitic-comments-1235412625/) reported Monday, citing unnamed sources.

Karen Bass, LA mayoral hopeful, told Adidas to sever ties with the rapper while talent agency CAA reportedly dropped him as a client.

On Monday a source told the Los Angeles Times that CAA, West’s talent agency, will no longer represent him. The heads of Hollywood’s top agencies have called for a boycott of West. “This will have real world consequences for the Jewish people.” The growing outrage over West’s comments does appear to be gaining traction. Where is the outrage?” He generated further outrage for wearing a “white lives matter” T-shirt during his runway show at Paris fashion week earlier this month.

A legal stoush between a Melbourne burger shop and US rapper Ye - originally known as Kanye West - has escalated.

Most recently she was a police reporter at the Geelong Advertiser.Connect via [Marta Pascual Juanola](/by/marta-pascual-juanola-h1ep4c)is a crime reporter at The Age.Connect via [Sign up here](/link/follow-20170101-p57ogt). The burger store also abandoned menu names playing on Ye song titles, including a fried chicken burger called Golddigger, a breakfast burger named Good Morning, and a Cheezus burger named after album Yeezus. The Federal Court action follows legal letters Ye’s lawyers said they sent to Elkhouri in February and June asking him to stop referencing the rapper and his branding in his business operations. In a 43-page statement of claim filed on Friday, Ye’s legal team took particular issue with the use of the business name College Dropout Burgers, noting The College Dropout was the title of their client’s debut album, released in 2004. A legal fight between a Melbourne burger shop and US rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has taken a bitter turn, with lawyers claiming College Dropout Burgers continues to have food on its menu named after the artist’s 2004 album.

MRC Entertainment has shelved a documentary about Kanye 'Ye' West after the rapper made a series of antisemitic remarks in recent weeks.

As leaders of this company (a Jew, a Muslim, and a Christian), we feel duty bound to say to all of you this is a pernicious, terrible use of false logic. The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising. The school is a historical bastion of liberalism and civil rights. It is brilliantly crafted, fast becoming part of mainstream thinking, and puts Jews in a terrible philosophical corner. “The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising,” the MRC statement read. This song was performed acapella in the time of the Pharaohs, Babylon and Rome, went acoustic with The Spanish Inquisition and Russia’s Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took the song electric. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3000 years - the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain. Lies are an important part of all discrimination, and this one is no different. But if the Jews are ultra-powerful because of secret evil plots, well, the argument is, it must be fair and ok.” “It’s critical to antisemites, who must explain why they are attacking a people that comprise less than half of one percent of the world’s population. “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. “Lies are an important part of all discrimination, and this one is no different.

Notorious rapper Kanye “Ye” West has reportedly been dropped by his agent, and his completed documentary will not see the light of day after the rapper made ...

Kanye is the latest to do so, and we’re seeing how his words embolden others to amplify their vile beliefs.” “The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising. We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” the studio said in a statement.

Kim Kardashian has broken her silence on ex-husband Kanye West's ongoing anti-Semitic rants with a public statement condemning hate speech.

West has been accused of manipulative behaviour towards his ex-wife following their split, though they continue to co-parent their four kids North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. “Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience. She was declared legally single in March 2022. There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism,” Mr Emanuel wrote in an op-ed for the Financial Times. His hateful tweet came after he was kicked off Instagram for sharing messages where he suggested that Jewish people control the media. [wanted to go “death con 3”](https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/kanye-west-explodes-in-late-night-twitter-rant-says-hell-go-to-death-con-3-on-jewish-people-amid-antisemitism-accusations/news-story/147b74717b58c119a3012cea0f1bf913) on Jewish people.

Lawyers for the artist claim Ivanhoe's College Dropout Burgers continues to have items on its menu named after West's 2004 album. The shop opened in 2021 with a ...

But Ye has pursued legal action against the restaurant, taking issue with its name — College Dropout Burgers. “College Dropout Burgers has respectfully removed all references to Ye, establishing a new direction, theme and brand identity. I can’t understand what would motivate a major artist to sue a small humble burger restaurant on the other side of the world,” Mr Elkhouri said in a statement provided to 3AW Breakfast.

A caption alongside said: “The neo-Nazis are doing a Nazi salute – a greeting gesture which was used during the Holocaust to signal obedience to Adolf Hitler.”.

People are calling for Adidas to end its working relationship with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, in response to the numerous offensive and antisemitic ...

[company released ](https://sneakernews.com/2022/10/21/adidas-yeezy-boost-350-v2-salt-hq2060-release-date/)the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in a brand new color ("salt") over the weekend. [open letter](https://www.adl.org/resources/letter/adl-letter-adidas-executives-regarding-kanye-west) to Adidas' leadership, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt says the group is particularly alarmed to see that the company is planning to release [new Yeezy products](https://sneakernews.com/adidas-yeezy-release-dates/) (including the Yeezy Boost 350) in the run-up to the Oct. [increasingly vocal in his critiques](https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/10/06/adidas-reconsidering-kanye-wests-yeezy-line/?sh=5f44c604671c) of Adidas and its leadership in recent months, accusing it of copying his ideas and not giving him enough control over the line. (He ended his [partnership with The Gap](https://www.npr.org/2022/09/15/1123169227/kanye-west-gap-ye-contract-split) in September over similar claims). [Change.org petition](https://www.change.org/p/adidas-must-end-its-partnership-with-the-antisemite-ye-aka-kanye-west) urging the company to cut ties with Ye, and the hashtag #BoycottAdidas has been trending on Twitter for days. [busy Los Angeles freeway](https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/us/los-angeles-demonstrators-kanye-west-antisemitic-remarks/index.html). [restricted his accounts](https://www.npr.org/2022/10/09/1127732183/kanye-west-instagram-twitter) (now he says he [plans to purchase](https://www.npr.org/2022/10/17/1129405942/kanye-west-ye-twitter-ban-parler) far-right-friendly social media site Parler), and Balenciaga fashion house is [reportedly cutting ties](https://www.npr.org/2022/10/21/1130616032/balenciaga-fashion-house-ye) with him. The original version mistakenly used condoning and condone instead of condemn. The Yeezy collaboration is best known for its lineup of sneakers, but also includes clothing, lingerie and other footwear. [according to Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/10/06/adidas-reconsidering-kanye-wests-yeezy-line/?sh=5f44c604671c). Authorities are also investigating [antisemitic fliers](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/beverly-hills-police-investigating-anti-semitic-fliers-in-the-area/) distributed in Beverly Hills that same weekend. Prominent Hollywood agency CAA, which has represented Ye since 2016, ended its relationship with him this month, the [Los Angeles Times reported](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2022-10-24/hollywood-talent-agency-caa-cuts-ties-with-ye-after-anti-semitic-tirade) midday Monday.

The escalation comes months after business owner – and mega Ye fan – Mark Elkhouri received a cease and desist notice from the US rapper.

In June, Elkhouri told Broadsheet this was in homage to the artist being another famous college dropout. Now the fight has escalated, with West’s lawyers filing a 43-page document to the Federal Court accusing Elkhouri of misleading and deceptive conduct. Elkhouri was pretty bummed at the time; he told Broadsheet that Kanye , also known as 'Ye', is his “fucking hero” and the homage to his idol came out of respect, rather than competition. Over 10 story views now!!,” he said in a post in June. The June cease-and-desist letter was a follow-up to one owner Mark Elkhouri received in February 2021. I must have ‘found God’, because @kanyewest has been deep in our stories.

CAA, the prominent Hollywood talent agency, has stopped representing Ye amid a growing call to boycott the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.

[Balenciaga](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-10-21/balenciaga-fashion-kanye-west-antisemitism), a close fashion collaborator with Ye, has ended business relationships with the artist, who previously cut ties with J.P. [impossible for companies](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-10-10/kanye-west-twitter-instagram-locked-antisemitic-tweets-posts) to defend working with him, causing some brands such as Adidas to review their relationship with the rapper. Ye was [suspended from Instagram and Twitter](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-10-10/kanye-west-twitter-instagram-locked-antisemitic-tweets-posts) earlier this month. [wrote in a tweet](https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1584562418927415296?s=20&t=2arJWkhrXE1EzbzD5XV03g). His recent appearances with Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson, and provocations such as wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt, have proved too controversial for some firms to bear. The company said it is under review. “The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising. 24, 2022An earlier version of this article said Adidas ended its relationship with Ye. What is new and sad, is the fear Jews have about speaking out in their own defense.” Other leading entertainment industry figures including Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel called on all companies that work with the musician to cut ties with him after he tweeted he wanted to go “death con 3" on Jewish people. “But we can’t support hate speech, bigotry or anti-semitism.” Emanuel’s position drew support from colleagues.

German sneaker maker Adidas AG is under mounting pressure to sever ties with Ye, after the rapper and designer formerly known as Kanye West made antisemitic ...

[comments](https://www.ajc.org/news/5-of-kanye-wests-antisemitic-remarks-explained) over the past few weeks targeting Jewish people, including a tweet that resulted in Twitter suspending his account. Film and TV studio MRC said Monday it [won’t release](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-24/ye-documentary-shelved-by-studio-following-antisemitic-remarks) a recently completed documentary made with Ye, while over the past month he’s also been dropped by his concert-touring representative and luxury label [Balenciaga](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-21/balenciaga-severs-ties-with-kanye-west-after-antisemitic-posts) said it has stopped working with him. [Adidas AG](/quote/ADS:GR) is under mounting pressure to sever ties with Ye, after the rapper and designer formerly known as Kanye West made antisemitic remarks.

The rapper has made controversial statements, including antisemitic social media posts in recent weeks, and has moved to cut ties with his corporate partners.

The Ye situation is one of many headaches for Adidas, which is searching for a new CEO to take over in 2023. and [Kering](https://fortune.com/company/kering) SA’s [Balenciaga](https://fortune.com/2022/10/21/kanye-west-balenciaga-antisemetic-comments-twitter-instagram/) fashion label in prematurely [cutting ties](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-21/balenciaga-severs-ties-with-kanye-west-after-antisemitic-posts) with West, who now goes by Ye. Meanwhile, Adidas has said it’s repeatedly tried and failed to resolve issues with Ye privately. [joins](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-15/gap-ends-partnership-with-kanye-west-s-yeezy-after-public-fight) [Gap](https://fortune.com/company/gap) Inc. The German company is of the view that it owns the intellectual property rights to the products from the collaboration and could continue producing the models, one of the people said. [Aaron Kirchfeld](https://fortune.com/author/aaron-kirchfeld/), [Tim Loh](https://fortune.com/author/tim-loh/), [Eyk Henning](https://fortune.com/author/eyk-henning/)and [Bloomberg](https://fortune.com/author/bloomberg/) [Adidas](https://fortune.com/company/adidas) AG is ending its partnership with Kanye West following a rash of [offensive behavior](https://fortune.com/2022/10/24/kanye-west-documentary-canceled-anti-semitic-remarks-ye/) from the rapper and designer that turned a once-thriving shoe brand into a [lightning rod for criticism](https://fortune.com/2022/10/24/i-can-say-anti-semitic-things-and-adidas-cant-drop-me-now-what-as-kanye-west-taunts-adidas-calls-grow-for-german-sportswear-giant-to-cut-ties/).