There has been a lot of talk about US rapper Kanye West in recent days. In addition to harsh criticism of his comments and actions, two athletes recently jumped ship – but Antonio Brown, of all people, is backing him up.
Munich – Kanye West has long been known for standing out and polarising. Currently, however, the rapper is in the crossfire of criticism.
Xenophobic and anti-Jewish remarks are not only causing verbal criticism, but also the downfall of his brand.
In the middle: Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald, basketball player Jaylen Brown and Antonio Brown.
Twitter ban and anti-Semitism accusations
Earlier in October, Kanye West caused a stir. At a public event, he wore a shirt with the words “White Lives Matter”. While these words are not objectionable in isolation, it completely counteracts the “Black Lives Matter” movement that the top was meant to allude to. Moreover, there is an openly radical right-wing movement in the US called the same thing.
While that didn’t cause a shitstorm, an appearance on a podcast a few weeks later did. There, “Ye” threw around anti-Semitic stereotypes like greed and said that “black people are controlled by Jewish media.” He also denied the concept of anti-Semitism.
Shortly after, he tweeted that he cannot be an anti-Semite “because black people are actually Jews.” Shortly after, his account was suspended and the tweet deleted.
Instant dismissal from Adidas
After West’s partner Adidas received many messages to cut ties with the producer, he only tweeted, “I can say anti-Semitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. What now? What now?”. The tweet was deleted by Twitter. Adidas produces a joint fashion line with Kanye.
However, contrary to West’s expectations, Adidas acted last Tuesday and parted ways with the rapper. “Ye’s recent statements and actions are unacceptable, hateful and dangerous,” the German company said. “They violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness,” it added.
The 45-year-old is currently unable to take action against the summary dismissal, as his lawyer Camille Vasquez also left him. “I can’t represent someone like that anymore,” she is reported to have said, according to TMZ. She also represented Johnny Depp in the Amber Heard trial.
The fact that Kanye West thought Adidas could not terminate him can be deduced from the predicted loss of the German brand after the split with “Ye”. According to “ARD”, the company is expected to lose $250 million this year alone as a result.
Aaron Donald and Jaylen Brown also turn away
In addition to the lucrative collaborations and his attorney, West, or rather his “DONDA” brand, also left his only two contracted pro athletes. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams and Jaylen Brown, forward of the NBA’s runner-up Boston Celtics.
– AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) October 25, 2022
Donald and his family cut ties shortly after Adidas announced its decision. “The recent statements are hateful, racist and anti-Semitic. They are the exact opposite of how we live and raise our children. They go against everything we stand for as a family,” the three-time Defensive Player of the Year wrote on Twitter. His wife Erica co-signed the statement.
Brown, on the other hand, needed two attempts. The Celtics star wrote shortly after the Adidas decision that he had “no intentions of ending the relationship. “
– Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) October 25, 2022
One day later, however, he changed his mind. “In the past 24 hours, I have had time to reconsider my position. For that, I apologise. I have always and will always stand against hate, anti-Semitism, falsehoods and such rhetoric.” With this, West’s company lost both athletes in one fell swoop. Both had signed only in the past six months.
Antonio Brown as last bastion
After even his own wife, Kim Kardashian (“I stand with the Jewish community”) turned against Kanye, there is only one notable name left to stand by his side: Antonio Brown.
The ex-NFL player was personally made president of the “DONDA” brand last February by West, who has yet to comment on any of this.
Analogous to Donald and Jaylen Brown, Antonio Brown also released a statement. However, he did not condemn the words Kanye uttered, but rather the “peer pressure” and the “opinion mongering” that is currently taking place in the Causa West.
DONDA pic.twitter.com/IkvsAlEKWU
– AB (@AB84) October 26, 2022
“Sensationalism and peer pressure have forced people not to say what they think. For fear of consequences. That is why I stand by freedom of words, thoughts and opinion. That is why I remain the President of DONDA Sports. I remain loyal to its mission and to the community,” Brown said.
What happens next with Kanye West, whose brands as well as music continue to sell, is still completely open.
Apart from Antonio Brown, however, he seems to have hardly any supporters left in the public eye.
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