German sporting goods giant Adidas has ended its partnership with US rapper Kanye West after he made anti-Semitic outbursts on social media and other platforms.
“Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous,” the company said in a statement issued on Tuesday, referring to the name the rapper adopted last year.
“Adidas does not tolerate anti-Semitism and any other sort of hate speech,” it said.
Adidas said that after a thorough review, it had decided to terminate the partnership with West with immediate effect, cease production of items from the lucrative Yeezy clothes and shoes brand, and stop all payments to West and his companies.
It added that this would lead to losses totalling €250 million in 2022.
A recent interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a podcast appearance and comments on social media have shown West increasingly embracing anti-Semitic conspiracy and white supremacist rhetoric.
The volatile rapper has struggled with mental health issues for years.
A number of brands and designers have ended their relationship with West in the wake of the comments. Twitter and Instagram have suspended his accounts, saying that his speech violates their policies.
He recently agreed in principle to acquire the controversial right-wing social media platform Parler.
Adidas has been under pressure to separate from West for a number of weeks. Most recently, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, called for the contract to be terminated.
Courtesy © dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH www.dpa.com