SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Following Adidas' lead, Jewish elected leaders from the Bay Area are calling on all companies to cut ties with Kanye West over his repeated anti-Semitic comments made on social media.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
German sportswear giant Adidas has given "Ye" the boot. The shoe and clothing company announced on Tuesday that it is ending its lucrative relationship with the music and fashion producer following highly inflammatory comments he made in interviews and online.
"He literally said that you wanted to start killing Jews. He wasn't even oblique about it, it was very, very explicit," State Senator Scott Weiner said.
Weiner, who is Jewish, is now calling on all organizations that have ties with West to end them immediately. "Anyone who uses this kind of language, threatening to kill people because of who they are, needs to be ostracized," he stated.
Teresa Drenick with the Anti-Defamation League said hateful comments from big name celebrities have a real world impact. "He is normalizing anti-Semitism at a time when anti-Semitic acts and hate crimes are already at historic levels," she explained.
The termination comes just days after West claimed Adidas could not fire him. "I can say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can't drop me. Now what?" he said in a now deleted clip from a Drink Champs podcast episode. In a statement, Adidas said "we do not tolerate anti-Semitism and any other sort of hate speech."
It's estimated that ending production of the "Yeezy" branded products will cost the company about $246 million this year. Balenciaga and JP Morgan Chase have also terminated their connection to the rapper.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
