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The fall of Adidas Yeezy was a culmination of 10 years of anti-semitism, sexual harassment and more that Adidas tolerated.
It’s been over a year since the Adidas Yeezy partnership came to an end but Kanye West’s workplace misconduct built up over 10 years with Adidas‘ knowledge, according to a report from The New York Times.
In 2022, Kanye West came under scrutiny over a span of weeks filled with tangents about Adidas executives, criticism over the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-semitic remarks and more.
However, a new report has emerged with more details of Kanye’s troubling ideas, methods and beliefs that the global footwear brand tolerated for years.
While partnerships are typically fruitful for both parties, there have been instances where the deals have been terminated, such as Rick Ross and Reebok for his “rape” lyric and Manny Pacquiao and Nike for his homophobic comments. Both deals were terminated swiftly in comparison. Both offensives were minuscule in comparison to the history of abuse from Kanye West.
Kanye West made execs watch pornography to spark creativity
In 2013, as the relationship had just kicked off, the article details Kanye making executives watch pornography during a meeting at his Manhattan apartment.
Kanye West started the Adidas relationship by drawing a swastika on a sketch of a shoe
Weeks later, the artist and the brand met at Adidas’ global headquarters in Germany. The article recounts that Kanye was frustrated with the designs that Adidas had in mind for the line and considered them offensive. He would proceed to draw a swastika on a sketch of a shoe.
“[H]e grabbed a sketch of a shoe and took a marker to the toe, according to two participants. Then he drew a swastika.”
Kanye West was obsessed with Hitler
In the story, Ye told Eric Liedtke, Adidas’ global brand manager and an executive board member, that he paid a seven-figure settlement to a senior employee who accused Ye of repeatedly praising the architect of the Holocaust.
Ye also reportedly told Adidas colleagues that he admired Hitler’s command of propaganda, viewing him as a “master marketer.”
Ye was also contemplating naming his 2018 “Ye” album as “Hitler.”
Kanye West allegedly advised Jon Wexler to kiss a picture of Hitler to practice love
Ye told Jon Wexler, who oversaw Adidas’ external partnerships and high-profile collaborations, to hang a photo of Hitler in his kitchen and kiss it every day to practice unconditional love.
Wexler is Jewish.
Kanye West repeatedly labeled the partnership as “slavery”
According to the report, Ye repeatedly accused the Adidas Yeezy partnership as a form of slavery.
In a meeting a month later, Kanye threw shoes around a meeting due to his ongoing frustration.
Kanye West verbally abused employees
During the preparation of the the first Yeezy show in February 2015, Ye grew frustrated as the deadline was coming up.
Ye lashed out with sexually explicit language at Rachel Muscat and other Adidas employees. The abuse was notified to Adidas higher-ups, according to the report.
Kanye West suggested becoming Adidas’ CEO
Ye’s desire for power and money at the company grew, Ye wanted to be more than just a designer/partner for the brand.
When Ye moved his Yeezy operation to Chicago, he demanded a seat on the company’s supervisory board, the role of Adidas creative director or chief executive.
Adidas was reluctant to enforce morality clause in West’s contract
In 2016, Adidas proposed a new contract for Ye with more financial incentives with its value reportedly higher than his musical assets.
The terms of termination that Ye agree to were felony conviction, bankruptcy, 30 consecutive days of mental health or substance abuse treatment or anything that brings “disrepute, contempt, scandal” to him or tarnishes the Adidas brand, according to a copy of the contract obtained by The Times.
Adidas formed a Yeezy crisis unit
The Yeezy team implemented a rotation of employees to work with Ye. The report compared it to firefighters on and off the front lines. The staff had a dedicated human resources official. Each hire was given a subscription to a meditation app. The team was also reportedly in a form of group therapy.
In 2018, Adidas executives and managers started a group chat called the “Yzy hotline”—it was used to address problems regarding Ye, antics, demands and more.
“We are in a code red,” allegedly said Jim Anfuso, the brand’s general manager for Yeezy, in the group. “The first line is completely exhausted and don’t feel supported or comfortable with how this is progressing.”
Kanye West drank heavily and rarely slept
The report details employees noticing Ye drinking at the office and hardly sleeping or going days without sleep.
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