The rapper-designer-entrepreneur has found himself on thin ice commercially and socially lately following a litany of conspiracy-minded and antisemitic public comments. Photo: TNS
Kanye West and crew showed up at Skechers’ headquarters in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday (Oct 26) without an invite, and the shoe company was definitely not having it.
“Kanye West – also referred to as Ye – arrived unannounced and without invitation at one of Skechers’ corporate offices in Los Angeles,” the company said in a statement.
“Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorised filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation.”
Skechers said it had “no intention” of working with the rapper-designer-entrepreneur, who has found himself on thin ice commercially and socially lately following a litany of conspiracy-minded and antisemitic public comments.
In addition to his recent remarks, West also suggested in 2018 that slavery was a choice, called the Covid-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast” in mid-2020 and wore a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt alongside conservative commentator Candace Owens at his Yeezy collection show in Paris earlier this month.
“We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech,” Skechers’ statement continued, adding – just in case anyone was unclear – that “The Company would like to again stress that West showed up unannounced and uninvited to Skechers corporate offices.”
Ye’s appearance at Skechers’ corporate offices might have been sparked by Adidas’ decision Tuesday to cut ties with the rapper and stop production of his Yeezy shoes.
That move came after what Adidas called a “thorough review” of their relationship. The athletic-gear company expects a loss of around US$246mil (RM1.15bil) in net income due to ending the partnership.
West recently has been dropped by myriad companies – including high-fashion house Balenciaga and talent agency CAA – and was suspended on Twitter and Instagram since kicking off his most recent round of offensive comments. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
