A number of the musician’s and designer’s commercial relationships ended due to his antisemitic remarks; Adidas was among them.
On Tuesday, Ye—the musician formerly known as Kanye West—shared an apologetic messaged in Hebrew for his many antisemitic remarks made last year, which rocked his career.
I deeply regret any “unintended outburst” and offer my deepest apologies to the Jewish community. In an Instagram message that has been translated into English, he expressed his deepest regrets for any harm or humiliation he may have caused. He clarified that it was not his goal to do so. Beginning with myself, I will use everything I’ve learned here to be more compassionate and understanding going forward. I deeply value your forgiveness and am dedicated to repairing my mistakes and fostering harmony.
Ye may be taking the first step towards making amends to the Jewish community and all those he has hurt by apologizing in Hebrew. This follows a lengthy process of using his immense influence and platform to poison countless minds with vicious antisemitism and hatred, according to a statement from the Anti-Defamation League, which was in response to Ye’s apology. Words are cheap, but at least this first step toward repentance is commendable.
Ye made antisemitic remarks last year, and his apologies is in response to those remarks. He made the antisemitic claim that Jewish people controlled Sean Combs and threatened to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” on social media in October 2022. Concurrently, he attended Paris Fashion Week while wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt. In December 2022, Ye also admitted to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones that he had feelings for Adolf Hitler.
X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram banned him for his actions, but eventually reinstated him. Additionally, he severed ties with JPMorgan Chase, CAA, and Balenciaga, three of his business associates. The announcement that Adidas would cease its collaboration with Ye, ending the wildly successful Yeezy brand—which generated over $2 billion annually—shook up the fashion industry.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Ye stated at the time that he would not retract his statements, despite the fact that he had financial losses due to the response.
He stated in an Instagram post—which has since been deleted—”I lost two billion dollars in one day and I’m still alive.” A “love speech” is this. Money doesn’t define me. “I am the people.”
More than a year after making his earlier remarks, Ye was seen screaming about Trump, Hitler, and Jesus in videos released this month. “Jesus Christ, Hitler, Ye!” he exclaimed in one footage. A third party! Back that!
Ye’s next album with Ty Dolla $ign, “Vultures,” is set to be released in January, although the content is yet unknown. There is a reference to the Jewish community in the song “Vultures,” though, and it is likely to be on the album. Ye, who has had sexual encounters with a Jewish woman, uses profanity to question why anyone would label him antisemitic.
No comment was provided by Ye’s representatives.
Wayne Probert is a senior reporter at Zobuz, covering state and national politics, and he is a grantee with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Before joining Zobuz, he worked as a freelance journalist in Kentucky, having been published by dozens of outlets including NPR, the Center for Media.
