Rapper Kanye West has been facing a backlash for anti-semitic comments he made in recent weeks. Shoes and clothing company Adidas is the latest to cut ties with Mr West, who changed his name to Ye last year. In a statement to Newsweek, Adidas said it doesn't tolerate anti-semitism or any other sort of hate speech. Forbes said that the deal was worth $1.5 billion. Other businesses too are seething over the rapper's erratic behaviour and comments, and have ended their deals with him.
What Did Kanye West Say?
On October 9, Mr West posted a tweet which led to a huge controversy. The tweet, which was deleted by Twitter and not pulled back by the rapper, read, "I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," in apparent reference to a US military readiness code known as DEFCON.
Mr West, a Black artist who now goes by Ye, also stirred controversy by wearing a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt during the Paris Fashion Week, in a misappropriation of the slogan "Black Lives Matter."
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Then appearing on a podcast on October 15, Ye claimed that George Floyd died from drug fentanyl and that a police officer's knee "wasn't even on his neck like that". He has been sued for the comment by the daughter of Mr Floyd, whose murder in 2020 became a rallying cry for protests against racism and police brutality.
Has He Apologised?
Mr West hasn't fully apologised. In an interview with Piers Morgan last week, the rapper said he was "sorry for the people that I hurt" by his "death con 3" tweet. But, when the anchor pressed him, Ye said he was "absolutely not" sorry for writing the comment.
On October 15, the singer had claimed that he "doesn't believe" in the term anti-semitism.
Banned From Twitter and Instagram
Kanye West has been banned by both social media platforms for the controversial posts.
He had faced a similar action in March too when he referred to Daily Show host Trevor Noah with a racial slur on Instagram. The post was deleted by the platform and the rapper was handed over a 24-hour ban.
