Kanye West is no stranger to controversial behavior, but his latest stunt may have cost him his partnership with Adidas. The clothing company has announced it’s reconsidering their collaboration after Kanye was seen wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt.
The rapper wore the shirt to his Yeezy fashion show during Paris Fashion Week. He was joined by controversial conservative Candace Owens in a matching shirt. Both of their tees featured an image of Pope John Paul II on the front. Several of the models in Kanye’s show also wore the shirt on the runway.
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Kanye also made several statements about Black Lives Matter (BLM) on social media, referring to the organization as a “scam.”
“Here’s my latest response when people ask me why I made a tee that says white lives matter. THEY DO,” he wrote in one Instagram post, which was accompanied by an image of the “White Lives Matter” shirt he had sported.
On his Story, he added, “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it’s over. You’re welcome.”
Kanye received a wave of backlash online following his behavior, from fans and famous faces alike. The controversy eventually prompted Adidas to make a statement in light of the criticism.
“After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
Kanye may not mind, however, as he’s been vocally unhappy about his partnership with Adidas, taking to social media to vent his frustration.
One Instagram post (which has since been deleted) said “F— ADIDAS I AM ADIDAS.”
He also blasted his collaboration with the retailer in an interview, saying, “We did this shoe, this knit runner, I told them, ‘This needs to be a marathon shoe.’ And it ended up being the most uncomfortable #Yeezy ever.”
Though it may have cost him a million-dollar contract, Kanye is adamant that he doesn’t regret his behavior. He defended wearing the “White Lives Matter” shirt in an interview with Tucker Carlson.
“I thought the shirt was a funny shirt. I thought the idea of wearing it was funny. And I said, ‘Dad, why do you think it’s funny?’ And he said, ‘Just a black man stating the obvious,’” Ye said.
Should Kanye lose his relationship with Adidas, it would be the end of a second huge partnership recently. Just last month, Ye pulled the plug on his collaboration with Gap after vocalizing dissatisfaction.
Sources: Complex, CNN, NY Post,
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