Pressure has mounted for Adidas to terminate its partnership with Kanye “Ye” West after L.A. hate groups made a public display of support for the rapper’s antisemitic comments on Sunday and a video resurfaced in which he says, “I can say antisemitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?”
After an antisemitic group hung banners of support for the rapper with comments like “Kanye is right about the Jews” while doing a Nazi salute, Alexander Vindman, the retired Army lieutenant colonel who testified during Donald Trump’s 2019 impeachment trial, resurfaced a video of the rapper that has now become viral.
“I can literally say antisemitic s— and they can’t drop me. I can say antisemitic things,” Ye began again, getting close to the mic and smiling at somebody off camera, “and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?”
Vinman added, “This dude Kanye is a clown. @adidas what do you think about this? He seems to imply you’re okay with antisemitism.”
A rep for Adidas did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of its deal with Ye, first signed in 2013. Earlier this month, the German sportswear company said its partnership with Ye was “under review” after the star blasted the company and publicly wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt. “We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period,” the company said at the time.
The heat continues to turn up for Ye, whose was locked out of Instagram and Twitter accounts earlier this month after posting a blatantly antisemitic messages, one threatening to go “death con 3” on Jewish people. Since then, Jewish celebrities and others have called him out, saying his “words hurt and incite violence,” and late-night hosts throwing him into the bottomless pit of mockery. An interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson only made things worse.
And the floodgates opened, with reactions to the deafening silence from the German corporation that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories, including a line designed by Ye.
“Hello? @adidas?? Are you there?? Anyone? Stan Smith? David Beckham?? Is this thing on?? #SpeakOut #boycottadidas,” wrote comedian Judy Gold.
“Hey @adidas – we shouldn’t have to tell you what to do. But we’re all watching,” another Twitter user wrote.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti Defamation League said, “Not only has @adidas remained silent on Ye’s #antisemitism, even as hate groups celebrate his dangerous rhetoric — they doubled down on their relationship, scheduling the release of new Kanye products. We must keep pressure on Adidas to #RunAwayFromHate.”
A petition has surfaced on change.org, demanding that Adidas end its partnership with Ye. It reads in part: “We, the undersigned, call on Adidas to end its partnership with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, due to his repeated antisemitic outbursts. By continuing to align itself with a public figure who has revealed himself to be a virulent antisemite, Adidas would be demonstrating that it does not care about racism against Jews.”
