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Adidas has ended its partnership with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, over his offensive and antisemitic remarks.
They are the latest company to cut ties with Ye and a decision that the German sportswear company said would hit its bottom line.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the company said in a statement Tuesday. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
The company faced pressure to cut ties with Ye, with celebrities and others on social media urging Adidas to act. It said at the beginning of the month that it was placing its lucrative sneaker deal with the rapper under review.
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Adidas said Tuesday that it conducted a “thorough review” and would immediately stop production of its line of Yeezy products and stop payments to Ye and his companies. The sportswear company said it was expected to take a hit of up to 247 million dollars to its net income this year from the move.
Ye boasted in an October 16 episode of „Drink Champs“ that he „can say antisemitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me.“
The brand promised to give more information about the decision on Nov. 9.
In recent years, Ye has stirred controversy. In October, he was criticized for wearing a „White Lives Matter“ T-shirt to his Yeezy collection show in Paris.
