Kanye West has successfully prompted Adidas to take action regarding his Yeezy brand. After a pointed Instagram post on Tuesday night, where he accused the company of continuing to profit from his designs despite their severed partnership, Adidas responded by removing all references to Yeezy products from their website.
In his post, Kanye expressed frustration that Adidas was still benefiting from his brand, claiming, “When you google http://Yeezy.com, the Adidas site comes before the Yeezy site. Stop doing this. Stop doing your moves to hold me back. Our partnership is done.” Just a day later, Adidas complied, erasing all mentions of Yeezy products, including past articles and images related to the brand.
Adidas had previously announced plans to completely cut ties with Yeezy by the end of 2024. The company’s CEO, Bjorn Gulden, stated in October that there were no remaining issues between the two parties, emphasizing a desire to move past the drama. He clarified that Adidas intended to sell off its remaining Yeezy stock by the end of 2024 and that there would be no financial exchanges between them.
The relationship between Kanye West and Adidas has been fraught with tension, particularly following West’s controversial anti-Semitic remarks in 2022, which led to the brand’s decision to sever ties. Despite this, Gulden defended West in a 2023 podcast appearance, suggesting that his comments were misinterpreted and acknowledging West’s immense creativity.
As the industry watches this unfolding situation, Adidas’ complete removal of Yeezy references marks a significant step in distancing itself from the controversy surrounding Kanye West.
