Topline
The response to rapper Kanye West’s anti-Semitic tirades continues to get more biting, as politicians denounced an openly hateful demonstration praising West in Los Angeles over the weekend and another top agent called for a boycott of the maligned star, though West’s most prominent corporate partner remains quiet.
Heads of several top Hollywood agencies have called for boycotts of Kanye West.
Key Facts
That stunt drew the ire of local officials, as Rep. Karen Bass (D-Cali.) and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti each condemned the incident Sunday, with Bass sharing an image of the demonstration saying the 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 most pointed criticism.
In a note to his employees Sunday night viewed by Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, Zimmer pleaded to “please support the boycott of Kanye West,” citing the demonstration as proof that West’s recent behaviors “ignite the embers of bigotry, and they must 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 firm Balenciaga cut ties with West Friday, while German footwear giant Adidas has yet to act meaningfully even as calls to boycott the company grow on social media.
Adidas last publicly commented October 6 on its partnership with West, saying in a statement to Forbes and other outlets the partnership was “under review,” and did not immediately respond to an inquiry Monday requesting an update on the review.
Crucial Quote
“I can say anti-Semitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?” West said in an interview on the Drink Champs podcast last week.
Big Number
$220 million. That’s how much Adidas pays West annually, according to Forbes’ estimates. We currently estimate West is worth $2 billion, but his fortune would fall below $1 billion if he lost his Adidas contract.
Key Background
On October 3, West wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt, apparently showing support for what Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a white supremacist group, the first in a string of increasingly troubling behavior from West, much of which was targeted at Jews. Instagram and Twitter blocked West from their respective platforms earlier this month, spurring him to buy right-wing social media site Parler, bolstering his increasing allyship with conservatives.
Tangent
West suffers from bipolar disorder, which can cause individuals to do or say things they may later regret, and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian said in 2020 that West’s mental health issues are “incredibly complicated and painful” to understand.
Further Reading
Kanye West’s Anti-Semitic, Controversial Behavior—Here’s Everything He’s Said In Recent Weeks (Forbes)
Kanye West Dropped By Balenciaga—First Company To Sever Ties Amid Controversy (Forbes)
The House Of Ye: Chaos, Anti-Semitism, ‘White Lives Matter’—And Steady, Unbothered Sales (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/10/24/kanye-west-antisemitism-backlash-gets-more-powerful-political-as-adidas-stays-mum/