Kanye West Abandoned by Adidas

German sports equipment maker Adidas announced Tuesday that it will “immediately” stop its collaboration with Kanye West, now known as Yee, after anti-Semitic comments made by the American rapper in recent weeks.

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“After careful consideration, the company has made the decision to terminate the partnership with Yi immediately,” the group said in a statement.

“Adidas does not tolerate anti-Semitism or any other form of hate speech,” he added.

The German group also announced, Tuesday, the “end of manufacturing products” from the brand of rapper Yeezy.

The collaboration between the three-line brand and the American star has long been one of the most successful relationships in the fashion world.

In development since 2014, the rapper’s sneaker collection Yeezy has enjoyed tremendous success that helped make Kanye West a billionaire.

Relations between the two partners had deteriorated significantly in recent months in connection with the star’s various adventures.

Ye was suspended from Twitter after he tweeted that he intended to attack Jews in a post that has since been deleted on the social network, breaking its rules.

He was also suspended from Instagram.

Previously, the rapper had criticized commercial initiatives by Adidas that he had taken, he said, without his consent.

The German company had indicated in early October that it would reconsider its relationship with Kanye West.

The rapper appeared a few days ago wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter” on during a fashion show in Paris.

This slogan, used by the American far right, hijacks the name of the Black Lives Matter movement, which campaigns against racism against African Americans.

Adidas states that it is “the sole owner of all design rights to existing products (…) under the partnership,” and anticipates a potential legal battle to come.

The group will also “stop all payments to Ye and his companies.”

This decision will have a “short-term negative impact of up to €250 million on the net result” of the company in 2022.

Last week, fashion house Balenciaga also ended its collaboration with the singer.

Kanye West, who says he suffers from bipolar disorder, was previously banned from Instagram posts for 24 hours in March amid his acrimonious divorce from US star Kim Kardashian.