Following a slew of controversy surrounding Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, many brands have cut ties with the rapper.
Ye has been embroiled in controversy since his stint at Paris Fashion Week on October 2nd, wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt on his Yeezy runway, which many celebrities such as Gigi Hadid and Hailey Bieber denounced.
Following that he also posted anti-Semetic remarks on Instagram and Twitter on October 9th. He tweeted he was going to go “death con 3 on Jewish people”, a likely reference to DEFCON 3 – the US military’s alert system.
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West was restricted both on Instagram and Twitter. for his statements, and earned the ire of celebrities such as Bella Hadid, Jamie-Lee Curtis, David Schwimmer and more.
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Adidas
Following his erratic behaviour, sporting brand Adidas stated that Ye’s deal with the company will be “under review”.
“Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision,” a statement from Adidas released on October 6th reads.
“The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history. We are proud of our team that has worked tirelessly throughout our collaboration with Ye and the iconic products that were born from it,” it continues.
“We also recognise that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values. After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
West and Adidas‘ partnership, which is valued at US$1.5 billion (approx. $2.3 billion), launched in 2015 and is set to expire in 2026.
However, West is confident that Adidas won’t drop him despite his antics. In an October 15 episode of podcast Drink Champs, Ye said “The thing about me and Adidas is I can literally say anti-Semitic shit and they can’t drop me. I can say anti-Semitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?”
The episode has since been deleted.
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Balenciaga
French fashion house Balenciaga is the first brand to completely sever ties with Ye.
In a statement given by parent company Kering, the brand said: “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.”
Ye was a close collaborator of the brand, having together sold a fashion line at GAP which dropped in February this year.
He was particularly close with Balenciaga’s artistic director, Demna Gvasalia, and also opened for Balenciaga’s Paris Fashion Week show, making headlines as he trudged through the mud in their designs.
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Vogue
Neither Vogue nor editor-in-chief Anna Wintour intend to work with Ye again after his anti-Semitic rants and support of the “White Lives Matter” movement, the magazine told Page Six in a statement on Friday.
Wintour and Ye have a long relationship, with Wintour inviting Ye and ex-wife Kim Kardashian to her 2009 Met Gala and featuring them on a Vogue cover in 2014.
She even had a hand in his recent bout of controversy, with Ye claiming that Wintour had sent her friend, Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, to film the reconciliation between Ye and one of her editors, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who was the first to critique Ye’s use of the “White Lives Matter” slogan on his Paris Fashion Week runway.
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Ye hires Johnny Depp’s lawyer, Camille Vasquez
On Friday the 21st of October, it was reported that Ye would be hiring the same lawyer Johnny Depp hired for his defamation case, Camille Vasquez.
Vasquez helped Depp with the case against his ex-wife Amber Heard in an infamous trial, and was quickly made partner by her firm, Brown Rudnick, for her efforts.
According to TMZ, sources close to Ye say he has hired Vasquez and Brown Rudnick to look after his business matters – including contracts and deals.
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