Adidas Drops Kanye

Following pressure, Adidas announced on October 25 that they too would be ending their partnership with rapper Kanye West after his myriad antisemitic remarks.

Adidas said in a statement that they do “not tolerate antisemitism or any sort of hate speech.” “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous,” the company said in a statement. “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies.” Adidas acknowledged that the decision would cost them around $286 million.

Adidas' full statment, dated October 25th; West started with his antisemitic tirades on October 6th. pic.twitter.com/bSewf0aTjq

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 25, 2022

Jewish groups praised Adidas. “This is a very positive outcome,” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “It illustrates that antisemitism is unacceptable and creates consequences. Without a doubt, Adidas has done the right thing by cutting ties with Ye after his vicious antisemitic rants. We were proud to see many joined ADL’s campaign, #RunAwayfromHate, that pressured Adidas toward this decision, including the thousands of people who sent emails, the dozens of celebrities who spoke up, and the prominent brands who cut ties. Taken together, all these elements sent an unambiguous signal that moved the company to take action. In the end, Adidas’ action sends a powerful message that antisemitism and bigotry have no place in society.”

American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch similarly said in a statement, “We welcome this decisive if belated action by Adidas. The company called his comments unacceptable and dangerous in ending West’s most lucrative business partnership. We agree. West has shown no remorse or contrition for his string of antisemitic remarks filled with hate and lies. He believed that as long as the money kept rolling in he could speak with impunity. Other companies that profit from associating with West must also disabuse him of that notion. West could have been a force for positive change, given his position of vast influence and power. Instead, he chose to go down a hate-filled path that has made him a pariah.”

The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “Kudos to @adidas for breaking ties with @kanyewest who continues to spread his Jew hatred to tens of millions of followers becoming the darling of white supremacists and Neo-Nazis. He deserves to be shunned for his hate.”

Kudos to @adidas for breaking ties with @kanyewest who continues to spread his Jew hatred to tens of millions of followers becoming the darling of white supremacists and Neo-Nazis. He deserves to be shunned for his hate.

— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) October 25, 2022