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Kanye Omari West, now known as simply Ye, in many ways embodies the American dream. He transformed himself from a college dropout to a music and fashion industry juggernaut, amassing millions of fans (and dollars) along the way.
But an unrelenting penchant for controversial behavior and comments anchored to swirling metal health questions have come home to roost.
On the heels of Ye’s recent antisemitic comments, white supremacists on Saturday demonstrated their support for Ye – and their hatred of Jews – above a Los Angeles freeway. Those comments, amplified by the freeway protests, sparked major brands to cut ties.
Hollywood and Ye: Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Silverman, more react
Although some suggest his isolation is more cancel-culture run amok (The @JudiciaryGOP Twitter account supportively tweeted “Kanye. Elon. Trump” earlier this month), the myriad businesses now rushing away from the entertainer suggest his artistic, financial and personal future may be in jeopardy. Here’s what the controversy is all about:
On Oct. 8, Ye, 45, tweeted that he would soon go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to the U.S. military readiness condition scale known as DEFCON. (DEFCON 1 is the highest level of alert and is reserved for nuclear engagement. DEFCON 5 is peacetime status.)
Twitter and Instagram locked his accounts in wake of the comment. (Ye has been seeking to buy Parler, a much smaller social-media platform favored by conservatives due to its loose content moderation policies.) Ye then went on various TV shows to explain himself, only to double down on his statement. He told Chris Cuomo of NewsNation’s “Cuomo,” “This is not hate speech; this is the truth.”
On Oct. 22, members of an antisemitic group called Goyim Defense League assembled at an overpass of the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. According to reports, the group hung a banner saying “Kayne is right about the Jews,” and some offered a Nazi salute.
Officials immediately denounced the group, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted: “This weekend’s antisemitic protests in LA were disgusting and cannot be normalized or brushed aside.
