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Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel has spoken out in favor of Adidas dropping Kanye West in the wake of a slew of anti-Semitic comments generated by the controversial rapper and businessman.
In an op-ed for the Financial Times, the Endeavor co-CEO wrote that there should be ‘no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism’ and encouraged brands to full-stop cease partnering and working with the designer.
‘Apple and Spotify, which host West’s music, whoever organizes West’s tours, and Adidas, which collaborates with West on his fashion line, should all stop working with him,’ wrote Emanuel – essentially calling for a blacklisting.
Should Adidas and the other brands listed by Emanuel drop West, his status as a billionaire, which is largely pegged to the valuation of YEEZY, could fall away.
The German shoe company makes about $1.5 billion annually off of its partnership with West thanks to the popularity of YEEZY which started in 2015.
In just a few short weeks, West, who now goes by the name Ye, has tweeted that he was going to go ‘death con 3 on Jewish people,’ in addition to making a number of other vitriolic statements that play to negative tropes about Jewish people.
Super-agent Endeavor co-CEO Ari Emmanuel encouraged all major brands to stop working with West in an op-ed on account of his recent tirade against Jewish people, particularly those in media
West stands to lose billions of his bottom-line net worth if Adidas terminates its tremendously popular partnership with him.The German shoe company makes about $1.5 billion annually off of its partnership with West thanks to the popularity of YEEZY
The ongoing YEEZY/Adidas collaboration has been one of the most successful in the German brand’s history. It is now under pressure to terminate the business partnership, particularly given its history as a Nazi company
Canceled: Kanye promised to ‘go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE’ in a shocking tweet earlier this month
‘Silence is dangerous,’ continued Emanuel. ‘It allows forms of hatred and racism, including anti-Semitism, to spread and become normalized.
‘It coarsens and degrades our society and country.’
Emanuel, himself a Jew, is widely considered to be one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry. West has repeatedly blamed the ‘Jewish media’ and ‘Jewish community’ in the music industry for toying with him.
Emanuel is also good friends with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, with whom West has had a friendly relationship in recent years.
It is unclear how Musk, once he officially takes over Twitter, would manage West’s anti-Semitic and otherwise offensive statements. West was suspended from the platform following his initial tirade earlier this month.
‘Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience,’ wrote Emanuel.
‘This is a moment in history where the stakes are high and being open about our values, and living them, is essential. Silence and inaction are not an option.’
Adidas is in an especially tenuous position given its history as a Nazi-run company that manufactured boots for Hitler’s army as well as Panzerschreck bazookas used in the war.
The Anti-Defamation League also wrote an open letter to Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted and Chair Thomas Rabe urging the brand to drop its collaboration with YEEZY.
The organization wrote, ‘In light of Kanye West’s increasingly strident antisemitic remarks over the past few weeks, we were disturbed to learn that Adidas plans to continue to release new products from his Yeezy brand without any seeming acknowledgement of the controversy surrounding his most recent remarks.
‘We are surprised and concerned that Adidas – a brand that supports inclusion and diversity – continues not only to support the Ye product line, but to release new products even as he continues to espouse hateful antisemitic ideas to his 31 million Twitter followers.
‘We urge Adidas to reconsider supporting the Ye product line and to issue a statement making clear that the Adidas company and community has no tolerance whatsoever for antisemitism.’
West’s partnership with Adidas has been under review since early October.
‘Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision. The adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history,’ said the company.
‘We also recognize that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values.’
According to bank estimates, YEEZY is valued at $4-$5 billion. That figure, however, was based on the brand’s relationship with both Gap and Adidas.
Earlier this year, West abruptly terminated his relationship with Gap Inc., a decision that reportedly wiped out $1 billion in the valuation of YEEZY.
If the Adidas partnership goes south too, following West’s waterfall of antisemitic comments, his net worth could plummet another few billion, placing him ever nearer to mere multi-multi-millionaire status.
His contract with Adidas runs through 2026.
Celebrities including Amy Schumer and David Schwimmer have also supported the ADL’s call for Adidas to drop West.
Schwimmer, 55, recently shared a video of West, 45, saying: ‘The thing I can say about Adidas is, I can literally say anti-Semitic s**t and they can’t drop me, I can say anti-Semitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what? Now what?
Schwimmer was supported by Friends co-star Jen Aniston in his post calling for the brand to drop Ye.
Post: David Schwimmer has demanded Adidas drop Kanye West for making anti-Semitic remarks – after the embattled musician lost a major business deal with fashion house Balenciaga
Schwimmer called out West over his anti-Semitic posts, taking to Instagram to brand the star a ‘bigot’
Hitting Back: ‘I think it’s really important that we call it out,’ Schumer, 41, who is Jewish, said during an interview with Extra while out promoting the premiere of Inside Amy Schumer
Run Away From Hate: Schumer is asking fans and followers to join the campaign to get Adidas to ‘re-evaluate their deal with Kanye West’
While the ex-husband of Kim Kardashian has been known to have unpredictable outbursts on social media – he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder in 2016 – his rants have become more frequent this year.
Recently, West hired Camille Vasquez, the attorney who defended Johnny Depp, to handle his business interests.
Vasquez, who gained national attention due to her representation of Depp in his heated defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, will be among the lawyers at the Brown Rudnick firm now working with West, TMZ reports.
The realization that West has lawyered up comes after high-fashion brand Balenciaga dropped West as a business partner.
Kanye West has hired Camille Vasquez who famously defended Johnny Depp in his defamation trial, to handle his business interests
Go it alone: The rapper revealed in recent weeks and revealed he’s planning to exit his corporate partnership contracts with Adidas and clothing retailer Gap once they expire, which came a week after he accused the companies of copying his designs
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