Despite ongoing antisemitic behavior, Adidas was the last brand to finally cut ties with Kanye West.
By Mindy Rubenstein, World Israel News
Kanye West’s history of anti-Semitic behavior during his work with Adidas was recently revealed in a report released by The New York Times. The revelations pushed the retailer to sever all ties with West, particularly in the wake of a surge in antisemitic incidents following the attack of Israel by Hamas.
Prior to a planned upcoming product launch by Adidas and West, the Times published an extensive report, revealing that during West’s first meeting with Adidas executives in 2013, he had made antisemitic remarks to company managers and employees that had not previously been reported in the media.
West’s relationship with Adidas had been profitable since its inception in 2015. However, the fallout from West’s actions led to substantial losses for the company, amounting to approximately $1.32 billion loss in annual sales and a $550 million drop in operating profit.
Adidas had initially planned to launch new Yeezy products, with a pledge to donate a portion of the proceeds to organizations combating discrimination and hatred, including racism and antisemitism.
However, the company announced the cancellation of the planned launch, citing concerns over the Israel-Hamas war.
According to the Times article, Adidas appeared to be trying to avoid associating its brand with an artist who has a history of taking such severe anti-Semitic actions.
The extensive report disclosed that West’s remarks against Jews date back to his first meeting with Adidas executives in 2013. During the meeting at the company’s headquarters in Germany, West expressed his dissatisfaction with shoe designs by drawing a swastika on one of the sketches.
In another incident, West praised Hitler’s control over propaganda, saying he was a successful marketer.
He also instructed a senior Adidas executive, John Wexler, who is Jewish, to “hang a picture of Hitler in his kitchen and kiss it daily to practice unconditional love.”
Although West previously offered an apology for some of his remarks, he continued to make inflammatory statements in subsequent months.
Adidas was the last brand to cut ties with him, reacting to his statements a month after they became public. The company released a statement, saying that West’s actions and statements were “not acceptable, hate-filled and dangerous,” and did not align with the company’s values of inclusivity, unity, mutual respect, and integrity.
Adidas completely terminated its partnership with West, stopped Yeezy product production, and ceased all payments to West and his affiliated companies.
In an interview for a podcast in December 2022, West said, “I find some good in Hitler too. I love everyone; every person brings some value, especially Hitler.”
The post Kanye West told his Jewish manager to kiss portrait of Hitler daily appeared first on World Israel News.