Which Brands Have Cut Ties With Kanye West Following Antisemitic Remarks? Adidas, Balenciaga and More

Several brands have dropped Kanye West as a partner as he continues to face backlash for making antisemitic comments. Keep scrolling to see which brands have chosen to stop working with him.

What Brands Have Stopped Working With Kanye West in Light on His Antisemitism Scandal?

Balenciaga was the first brand to reveal they are no longer working with Kanye, 45. “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” the high-end brand’s parent company, Kering, told Women’s Wear Daily in a statement on October 21.

On the same day, Vogue and the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, severed ties with Kanye.

Hollywood agency CAA (Creative Artists Agency) confirmed they cut ties with Kanye on October 24. “I can confirm that Kanye is not a client,” a rep for the company told CNBC.

Later that day, MRC executives — the studio behind an upcoming documentary about the “Famous” rapper — announced that the project will not move forward.

“This morning, after discussion with our filmmakers and distribution partners, we made the decision not to proceed with any distribution for our recently completed documentary about Kanye West. We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley said at the time, according to Variety. “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3,000 years — the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.”

The next company to cut ties with Kanye was Adidas. “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. 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,” the athletic brand said in a statement on October 25. “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.”

Also on October 25, Gap announced that Kanye’s Yeezy Gap line had been pulled from stores and they shut down YeezyGap.com. “Our former partner’s recent remarks and behavior further underscore why we are taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores,” the retailer said in a statement regarding the decision.

Universal Music Group revealed they ended their partnership with Kanye and his record label, GOOD Music, in 2021. “Def Jam’s relationship with Ye as a recording artist, Def Jam’s partnership with the GOOD Music label venture and Ye’s merchandise agreement with Bravado all ended in 2021,” UMG said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, both Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown and Los Angeles Rams player Aaron Donald ended their association with Kanye’s Donda Sports.

Other companies that will no longer be selling Kanye’s Yeezy products include Foot Locker, The RealReal and TJ Maxx.

On October 26, Madame Tussauds London announced the decision to remove a wax figure of Kanye from the venue. “Ye’s figure has been retired from the attraction floor to our archive,” a spokesperson told The Guardian. “Each profile earns their place at Madame Tussauds London and we listen to our guests and the public on who they expect to see at the attraction.”

In addition to being cut off from brands, Kanye’s Donda Academy suddenly shut down on October 26. In an email obtained by the Times, principal Jason Angell announced to the school community there would be no school the following day and that classes would not resume for the remainder of the semester “at the discretion of our founder.”

What Antisemitic Comments Did Kanye West Make?

Earlier in October, Kanye sparked controversy when he posted a series of offensive tweets, including one that said he was “going death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE.” The post was taken down and he was later locked out of his account. 

The “Gold Digger” rapper eventually apologized while being interviewed by Piers Morgan during the October 19 episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored. 

“I will say I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the ‘death con’ [comments],” Kanye said at the time. “I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through, and that I used my platform where you say hurt people hurt people. I was hurt.”

However, the Yeezy mogul went on to say that he doesn’t regret posting the tweet and added that he made the comment “knowing it’s racist.” He continued, “Yes, I fought fire with fire. I’m not here to get hosed down. It’s a different type of freedom fighter.”

Have Celebrities Spoken Out Against Kanye West?

Days after Kanye said he stood by his comments, a photo of protestors in Los Angeles went viral that showed the demonstrators behind banners that read, “Honk if you know” and “Kanye is right about the Jews.” Several celebrities took to social media to slam him and encourage brands to stop working with him.

The “Stronger” rapper’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, condemned his behavior in a tweet posted on October 24. “Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” Kim, 42, wrote via Twitter on Monday, October 24. “I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”

The reality star’s family members Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner went on to share posts via their Instagram Stories that showed support for the Jewish community.