Everyone’s Cutting Ties With Kanye West, Maybe Even Donald Trump
Kanye West is running out of friends.
The rapper, who’s been in a long drawn out public meltdown, recently made a new set of antisemitic remarks in a now-deleted episode of Drink Champs, where he ranted about “the Jewish people” and claimed that he can’t be antisemitic because he’s also a Jew “as the blood of Christ.”
West then said that “Jewish people have owned the black voice… whether it’s through all of us being signed to a record label, or having a Jewish manager,” and that “the Jewish media blocked me out.”
The antisemitic comments on Drink Champs punctuate a long history of questionable behavior, including saying that slavery was a choice and showing up at the Paris Fashion Week wearing a ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirt.
It took a while but the fallout has resulted in a growing list of brands and companies severing ties with him. Leading the list is Adidas, a breakup that will cost West about US$1.5 billion and his billionaire status.
Balenciaga, Gap, and Foot Locker have also ended their partnerships with West and his companies, while JP Morgan and Chase has notified the rapper about the ‘closing’ of their banking relationship.
Many of the companies representing West have also turned away from him: his label Def Jam, his talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), as well as the law firm Cohen Clair Lans Greifer Thorpe & Rottenstreich that was representing him in his divorce from reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian.
The film and television company MRC, which has a completed documentary about West, has also announced that they were cutting ties and shelving the documentary.
Aaron Donald and Jaylon Brown have also announced that they were terminating their association with West’s marketing agency Donda Sports. Brown initially said that while he denounced West’s antisemitic remarks, he would be staying with Donda Sports. He changed his mind a day later, saying that he could not keep working with West.
READ: Kanye West Shows Up Uninvited, Gets Escorted Out of HQ of Skechers
Instagram and Twitter have restricted his accounts and removed offensive posts. It’s still unclear how long the rapper would be restricted from the platforms.
Prior to West’s Drink Champs appearance and following his tweets about planning to go “death con 3” on “JEWISH PEOPLE,” Rolling Stones reports that “Donald Trump told multiple people that West is acting too ‘crazy’ and that he needs some professional ‘help,’ citing two unnamed sources.
Trump and West go a long way and Trump has, on multiple occasions, bragged about their friendship. And if the comments are true, that’s saying a lot from Trump who’s known for his outbursts and who also recently berated American Jews on his social media platform Truth Social.
While it hasn’t been confirmed about whether Trump is distancing himself from West, it’s worth noting that the former president has been very quiet about West. Trump, after all, has a knack for sharing his thoughts on just about anything.
Elon Musk, also a good friend who’s prone to social media outbursts, recently deleted tweets showing support for the rapper. The tweets celebrate West’s plan to acquire the right-wing friendly social network Parler after he was restricted from posting on Instagram.
Musk had recently expressed concern over West’s “death con 3” tweet, and reassured followers that he thinks West took his concerns to heart. (Spoiler: he did not.)
The list of breakups with West is expected to grow. It has, not surprisingly, already become a meme.
Information for this briefing was found via Rolling Stone, Billboard, Twitter, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
