by top line
The response to rapper Kanye West’s anti-Semitic rants continues to be more scathing, with politicians decrying an openly hateful rally praising West in Los Angeles over the weekend and another top operative calling for a boycott of the maligned star, though partner West’s most prominent corporate. remain silent.
The heads of several major Hollywood agencies have called for boycotts of Kanye West.
key facts
That stunt drew the ire of local officials including Rep. Karen Bass (D-Cali.) and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. each condemned Sunday’s incident, with Bass sharing a picture of the rally saying anti-Semitism “has no place in our city and never will.”
The Los Angeles incident inspired further condemnation from Hollywood agencies, with United Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer speaking out against West, joining Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel as part of the industry’s sharpest criticism. .
In a note to his employees on Sunday night seen by Variety and the hollywood reporterZimmer pleaded to “support the boycott of Kanye West,” citing the rally as proof that West’s recent behaviors “ignite the embers of bigotry and should not be tolerated.”
Among West’s three most prominent corporate partners before this saga, only one remains by his side: Gap and West parted ways last month, high-end fashion house Balenciaga cut ties with West Friday, while German fashion giant Adidas footwear has yet to act significantly even as calls to boycott the company grow on social media.
Adidas last commented publicly on October 6 about its partnership with West, saying in a statement to Forbes and other media, the association was “under review” and did not immediately respond to a query Monday requesting an update on the review.
pivotal appointment
“I can say anti-Semitic things and Adidas can’t let me. Now what?” West said in an interview at baby champions Last week’s podcast.
big number
$220 million. That’s what Adidas pays West annually, according to Forbes’ Dear. We currently estimate that West is worth $2 billion, but his fortune would drop below $1 billion if he were to lose his contract with Adidas.
key background
On Oct. 3, West wore a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt, apparently showing support for what the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a white supremacist group, the first in a series of increasingly troubling behaviors by West, many of which were addressed to the Jews. Instagram and Twitter banned West from their respective platforms earlier this month, prompting him to buy the right-wing social media site Parler, bolstering his growing alliance with conservatives.
Tangent
West suffers from bipolar disorder, which can cause people to do or say things they later regret, and ex-wife Kim Kardashian said in 2020 that West’s mental health issues are “incredibly complicated and painful” to understand.
Other readings
Kanye West’s controversial and anti-Semitic behavior: this is all he has said in recent weeks (Forbes)
Kanye West bid farewell to Balenciaga: the first company to sever ties amid controversy (Forbes)
The House Of Ye: Chaos, Anti-Semitism, ‘White Lives Matter’, And Steady, Undisturbed Sales (Forbes)
