Every Company Cutting Ties With Kanye West, From GAP to CAA
Following in the footsteps of Balenciaga, adidas, and GAP, Kanye West's business partners are rushing to cut ties with the rapper over his antisemitic remarks, extensions of his well-documented espousal of Christian nationalist beliefs.
On October 21, Balenciaga — one of Ye's closest collaborators — announced it would no longer work with him. adidas and GAP quickly followed suit on October 25, no doubt in part due to mounting pressure from (rightfully) enraged onlookers.
While Balenciaga, adidas, and GAP are the "big three" of West's corporate web, plenty of his peripheral associates have decided to drop the disgraced artist.
So, what companies have cut ties with Kanye West? Below, a running list.
JPMorgan Chase
On October 12, right-wing commentator Candace Owens — a longstanding supporter of Ye — tweeted a letter apparently informing the rapper that JPMorgan Chase had decided to end its banking relationship with YEEZY, LLC.
A report published by The New York Times on October 13 confirmed that JPMorgan Chase closed Ye's bank account.
Balenciaga
Ye's relationship with Balenciaga — and by extension, creative director Demna — came to an end on October 21, when the French maison's parent company, Kering, finally broke its silence on the elephant in the room.
"Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist," Kering's brief statement read.
Vogue
While Anna Wintour and Vogue have yet to issue an official statement on the Ye debacle, both parties reportedly have no intention of working with him again in the future.
The move came weeks after Ye made a surprise appearance at the magazine's VOGUE World fashion show. Days after the extravaganza, Wintour was photographed wearing the rapper's reflective YEEZY SHDZ.
Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
On October 24, Ye was dropped by CAA, who began representing his tours in 2016.
MRC Entertainment
MRC, the producer of a recently completed Kanye West documentary, announced it was shelving the feature. "We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform," a statement from the company declared.
"Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3,000 years — the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain. … Kanye has now helped mainstream it in the modern era.”
adidas
After putting its YEEZY partnership under review, adidas officially ended things with Ye. "adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech," read a statement published to adidas' website on October 25.
"After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of YEEZY branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies... adidas will stop the adidas YEEZY business with immediate effect."
GAP
Hours after adidas announced its move, GAP said it would remove all remaining YEEZY GAP product from its stores, as well as shut down the partnership's dedicated website, YEEZYGAP.com.
"Anti-Semitism, racism, and hate in any form are inexcusable and not tolerated in accordance with our values," GAP stated. "On behalf of our customers, employees, and shareholders, we are partnering with organizations that combat hate and discrimination."
Cohen Clair Lans Greifer Thorpe & Rottenstreich
The law firm that represented Ye in his divorce from Kim Kardashian parted ways with the former billionaire on October 25.
"I can confirm we are no longer representing Ye," attorney Robert Stephan Cohen, a senior partner at the firm, told The Washington Post.
The RealReal
A post uploaded to The RealReal's official Instagram on October 25 announces: "As of today, we will no longer be accepting items associated with Kanye West or his brand, including Yeezy and Yeezy x adidas."
Foot Locker
Foot Locker reportedly instructed all of its stores to pull YEEZY sneakers from shelves. As of October 25, its website had also removed the brand.
"Foot Locker, Inc. does not tolerate any form of antisemitism, or hateful and discriminatory behavior," the company said in an internal email.
"While we remain a partner with adidas and carry a wide assortment of their collections — we will not be supporting any future Yeezy product drops, and we have instructed our retail operators to pull any existing product from our shelves and digital sites."
Def Jam
On October 25, an anonymous source alleged that G.O.O.D. Music, the Def Jam imprint owned by Ye, is no longer affiliated with the record label.
Universal Music Group later clarified that Def Jam's partnership with G.O.O.D. Music ended back in 2021, adding: "There is no place for antisemitism in our society. We are deeply committed to combating antisemitism and every other form of prejudice."
Rebag
The RealReal isn't the only resale platform taking a stance on Ye. On October 26, Rebag confirmed it had removed all YEEZY product from its website and IRL retail locations. The company will no longer accept the brand going forward.
Skechers
According to a statement released by Skechers on October 26, West showed up "uninvited and unannounced" to the company's corporate office in Los Angeles.
"Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation," the statement explained.
"Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West. We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech. The Company would like to again stress that West showed up unannounced and uninvited to Skechers corporate offices."
Donda Academy
Donda Academy, Ye's controversial school, has closed for the rest of the semester. In an email sent to parents on October 26, principal Jason Angell wrote that classes were canceled for the remainder of the semester "at the discretion of our founder."
Angell added that the academy — which opened its doors to approximately 100 students in August — will reopen next September for the 2023 school year.
