Current:Home > MyAdidas CEO doubts that Kanye West really meant the antisemitic remarks that led Adidas to drop him-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Adidas CEO doubts that Kanye West really meant the antisemitic remarks that led Adidas to drop him
lotradecoin transparency View Date:2024-12-25 17:16:51
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden said he doubts that Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, “meant what he said” when he made a series of antisemitic and other offensive remarks last year.
Almost a year ago, Adidas ended a major partnership with Ye over his statements, discontinued Ye’s line of Yeezy shoes and moved up the planned departure of its CEO. In a statement at that time, the company said it “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.” It added: “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
Gulden struck a different tone on the investing podcast “In Good Company.”
“I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world,” Gulden said in an episode released Sept. 12. “Very unfortunate, because I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person. It just came off that way.”
Gulden did not elaborate in the interview. He took over as CEO last January. An Adidas spokesperson said the company’s position has not changed and that ending the partnership with Ye was an appropriate measure.
For weeks prior to his rupture with the sneaker company, Ye had made antisemitic comments in interviews and social media, including an October Twitter post in which he said he would soon go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to the U.S. defense readiness condition scale known as DEFCON.
He had previously suggested that slavery was a choice and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast,” among other comments. He also took heat for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to Paris Fashion Week and putting models in the same design. In 2020, Ye’s then-wife Kim Kardashian said that the rapper has bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings.
Ye expressed some regrets in a podcast interview, but a few months later tweeted an image of a swastika merged with the Star of David, leading the platform to suspend him. After he received the same treatment on other social media outlets, Ye offered to buy Parler, a conservative social network with no gatekeeper. No deal ever materialized.
The break with Ye left Adidas with a huge supply of unsold Yeezy sneakers that it has begun to sell in limited batches. It has held two such sales — one in May, the other last month. For both of those sales, Adidas said it donated a portion of the proceeds to charities such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change.
The company has not said how many of those shoes remain in inventory, although the unsold shoes and Ye’s departure impacted Adidas profits. The company estimated that it held 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) worth of Yeezy inventory when it broke off its partnership.
The company faces other problems tied to the rapper. Investors sued Adidas in the U.S., alleging the company knew about Ye’s offensive remarks and harmful behavior years before the split and failed to take precautionary measures to limit financial losses.
The lawsuit — representing people who bought Adidas securities between May 3, 2018, and February 21, 2023 — pointed to reports of Ye making antisemitic statements in front of Adidas staff in addition to his other remarks.
The company said at the time that it rejected “these unfounded claims and will take all necessary measures to vigorously defend ourselves against them.”
veryGood! (977)
Related
- Get 10 free boneless wings with your order at Buffalo Wild Wings: How to get the deal
- Rights group warns major carmakers over risk of forced labor in China supply chains
- Seahawks turn to Mike Macdonald, former Ravens defensive coordinator, as new head coach
- The Chicken Tax (Classic)
- US Army intelligence analyst pleads guilty to selling military secrets to China
- 2024 NBA Draft expands to two-day format: second round will be held day after first round
- Norfolk Southern to let workers use anonymous federal safety hotline one year after derailment
- House passes bipartisan tax bill to expand child tax credit
- Oklahoma city approves $7M settlement for man wrongfully imprisoned for decades
- It’s called ‘cozy cardio.’ In a world seeking comfort, some see a happier mode of exercise
Ranking
- Collin Gosselin claims he was discharged from Marines due to institutionalization by mom Kate
- Dead & Company join the queue for Las Vegas residency at The Sphere
- South Dakota man charged in 2013 death of girlfriend takes plea offer, avoiding murder charge
- TikTok removes music from UMG artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift
- Ranking MLB jersey advertisements: Whose patch is least offensive?
- These Secrets About Harry Styles Will Have You Late Night Talking
- Kentucky juvenile facilities have issues with force, staffing, report says
- Step Inside Jason Kelce and Kylie Kelce’s Winning Family Home With Their 3 Daughters
Recommendation
-
Biden to designate 1908 Springfield race riot site as national monument
-
Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in 'Rust' shooting case
-
Noem looking to further bolster Texas security efforts at US-Mexico border
-
Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty to refiled manslaughter charge in Rust shooting
-
Giants trading Jordan Phillips to Cowboys in rare deal between NFC East rivals
-
Who will win next year's Super Bowl? 2024 NFL power rankings using Super Bowl 2025 odds
-
Margot Robbie reflects on impact of 'Barbie,' Oscars snubs: 'There's no way to feel sad'
-
First of back-to-back atmospheric rivers pushes into California. Officials urge storm preparations
Tags
-
lotradecoin regulatory compliance overview
lotradecoin privacy policy explained
lotradecoin versus kucoin exchange
lotradecoin trading with stablecoins
lotradecoin leverage trading explained
lotradecoin innovations
lotradecoin trading tutorial for beginners
lotradecoin withdrawal processing times
lotradecoin guidelines