The seven-year collaboration between the German sportswear company and rapper and designer Ye (formerly Kanye West) on the enormously successful Yeezy sneakers came to an end on October 25 when he launched into an anti-Semitic rant. The company had started to evaluate the relationship earlier that month, but it wasn’t until several other companies broke their links with Adidas and pressure from public figures and advocacy organisations like the Anti-Defamation League that Adidas finally acted.
Adidas opened an inquiry into Ye’s behaviour during his seven years of co-designing shoes with the company yesterday (Nov. 24), following receipt of an anonymous letter outlining many accusations against him.
The validity of the allegations presented in an anonymous letter is presently unknown, the business told Reuters in a statement. However, we have decided to immediately begin an independent inquiry into the situation to address the complaints since we take them very seriously.
Following a Rolling Stones article, Adidas revealed the investigation.
Two days after Rolling Stone published an article describing several alleged instances of inappropriate behaviour by Ye against staff members and potential workers, it was announced that an investigation into him would be conducted. It contained passages from an open letter called “The Truth About Yeezy: A Call to Action for Adidas Leadership” written by prominent former Yeezy team members, in which it is claimed that the musician intimidated the Yeezy staff using tactics that were provocative, frequently sexualized, and frequently directed at women.
The publication included testimonies from many workers. One criticism is that Ye exposed CEOs to pornography; this incident was captured in a 30-minute tape that Kanye West published to his YouTube channel last month and was covered by media outlets like Buzzfeed. Other examples include Ye embarrassing interviewers with personal images of her ex-wife Kim Kardashian and berating workers, particularly women.
Employees charge Adidas with carrying on as normal and putting up with concerns.
