Adidas ends partnership with Ye over antisemitic remarks

By Alexandra Olson and Anne D’Innocenzio, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Adidas ended a partnership that helped make the artist formerly known as Kanye West a billionaire and lent the German sportswear an edgy appeal, but ultimately couldn’t survive a mounting outcry over the rapper’s offensive and antisemitic remarks.

The split will leave Adidas searching for another transcendent celebrity to help it compete with ever-larger rival Nike, but will likely prove even costlier for Ye, as the rapper is now known. The sneaker giant became the latest company to cut ties with Ye, whose music career has been in decline as he courted controversy.

Adidas said it expected to take a hit of up to 250 million euros ($246 million) to its net income this year from the decision to immediately stop production of its line of Yeezy products and stop payments to Ye and his companies. Its shares closed down more than 2% on Tuesday…

Adidas has stuck with Ye through other controversies over his remarks about slavery and COVID-19 vaccines. But Ye’s antisemitic comments stirred up the company’s own past ties with the Nazi regime that the company had worked to leave behind. The World Jewish Congress noted that during World War II, Adidas factories “produced supplies and weapons for the Nazi regime, using slave labor.”

Jewish groups said the decision to drop Ye was overdue….

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