Celebrities have much influence over their fans and the general public. As a result, all their actions, associations, and utterances are constantly under public scrutiny. Celebrities have a responsibility to use the power they hold over the public in a morally appropriate manner. However, some celebs often convey messages that hurt other people’s feelings resulting in huge controversies. Ye, formerly known as Kanye Omari West or Kanye West, is one of the most controversial celebrities in the world today. In recent years, the 45-year-old rapper has been in the limelight for the wrong reasons.
His comments and erratic tendencies have attracted much criticism from the public resulting in negative repercussions for his brand. Even though Ye has made significant contributions to the fashion and music industries, drawing a large fan base, a section of the public finds his recent actions extremely disappointing. Ye’s anti-Jewish comments sparked a new wave of antisemitism across the United States and led to the loss of his lucrative deals.
Ye’s Anti-Semitic Comments Scandal
Recently, Ye has attracted much public criticism following his anti-Semitic remarks. His anti-Jewish rants began early in October 2022, following intense backlash on his “White Lives Matter” t-shirt that he wore during the Paris Fashion Week (Sen Gupta). One of the critics was rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, who posted a video on Instagram stating he did not support the singer’s t-shirt, advising the public against purchasing it.
In response, Ye posted a screenshot of his text conversations with Diddy on Instagram, alleging that Combs was being influenced by the Jewish. Ye also threatened to use Diddy as an example to show the Jews that no one could intimidate him. Following the remarks, Meta pulled down Ye’s post and enforced a restriction on his Instagram account. However, the same evening, Ye returned to Twitter after two years, posting some offensive anti-Jewish comments. One of his posts which was later pulled down, partly read that he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people.” In the same tweet, he accused the Jews of trying to blackball him and anyone opposing their agenda (Sen Gupta). These remarks triggered much blowback for the rapper.
Ye’s anti-Semitic comments stirred much condemnation from the public and several groups. In this case, the remarks were criticized by several celebrities, anti-hate groups, and the American-Jewish Committee (Sen Gupta). The Anti-Defamation League also bashed Ye’s remarks as troubling and dangerous (Sen Gupta). In addition, Kim Kardashian condemned hateful remarks against the Jews and called for an end to the hate speech. Similarly, other celebrities, including Reese Witherspoon, Josh Gad, Amy Schumer, Kylie Jenner, and Florence Pugh, also criticized the rapper’s comments (Thompson). This proves that many individuals were concerned about the effects of Ye’s remarks on the public.
The Repercussions of Ye’s Anti-Semitic Remarks
Ye’s anti-Jewish comments sparked a new wave of antisemitism among different hate groups in the United States. In this case, several Californian political leaders, including Congresswoman Karen Bass and Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Scott Weiner, bashed the rapper for anti-Semitic incidents in Los Angeles (Anguiano). Following the artist’s anti-Jewish comments, members of the Goyim Defense League, an American White Supremacist and anti-Jewish hate group, held protests on the 405 Freeway overpass, where they were recorded giving Nazi salutes (Rector). They also placed a banner on the flyover which read, “Kanye is right about the Jews.”
In addition, the group has also been linked with disseminating anti-Semitic flyers at the doorsteps of houses in Los Angeles. The leaflets contained statements relating the Covid agendas to the Jewish, while others alleged that the LGBTQ groups and President Biden’s administration were controlled by the Jews (Rector). The leaflets were also distributed to neighborhoods in Beverly Hills, with some accusing the Jews of the gun control strategies (Rector). This triggered much fear for the Jewish families living in the affected neighborhoods.
Ye’s anti-Semitic remarks triggered a series of adverse effects which have critically affected his brand. The musician’s Instagram and Twitter accounts were suspended because his statements breached community guidelines. In this case, Meta suspended his Instagram account for 30 days while his Twitter account was locked for an unspecified time (Van Boom and Oscar). This was a big blow to the rapper, who has over 30 million followers on Twitter and about 18 million on Instagram (Van Boom and Oscar). The big following has previously enabled Ye to connect with his fans and promote his music and designs. Nevertheless, after the suspension on the social media platforms, the fashion designer bought Parler, a social media platform popularly associated with the conservatives (Browne). This has left the public speculating whether temporary or permanent bans on social media can limit the spread of hate speech among celebrities such as Ye.
Ye’s anti-Jewish comments have led to the termination of his working relations with major companies. In this case, Balenciaga, a Paris fashion house, and Kering, its parent company, cut off ties with the designer on 21 October 2022. In a statement to the Women’s Wear Daily, the company indicated that it no longer had any relations nor plans to work with Ye (Sen Gupta). However, Kering did not specify the reason behind the termination. In addition, Vogue magazine and its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, ended their ties with the rapper after the controversy surrounding his “White Lives Matter” and anti-Jewish statements (Sen Gupta). The editor and Ye have had long professional ties since 2009.
Similarly, the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the largest talent agencies in Hollywood, severed its connections with the rapper after his anti-Semitic comments (Sen Gupta). Additionally, Jeremy Zimmer, the head of the United Talent Agency (UTA), the rapper’s former agency before moving to CAA, issued a company memo rallying for the boycott of the artist (Sen Gupta). This shows the intense fallout triggered by the rapper’s offensive comments.
Following the anti-Jewish remarks, the MRC, a production house, shelved a finished documentary on Ye. The production studio distanced itself from the rapper, citing that supporting the musician’s content would amplify his platform (Sen Gupta). Equally, Ye and his G.O.O.D Music label ceased to be part of Def Jam Recording (Van Boom and Oscar). Although, it is essential to note that Kanye West’s Essentials playlist was removed from the Apple Music platform (Van Boom and Oscar).
Moreover, Adidas also severed its ties with Ye, an incident that resulted in a loss of approximately $250 million for the company (Sen Gupta). Adidas’ statement on 28 October 2022 indicated that the company is intolerant to hate speech or antisemitism. It is presumed that Ye’s deal with Adidas was worth $1.5 billion, implying that the rapper’s current net worth is around $400 million (Sen Gupta). Following Adidas’ termination of its working relations with Ye, the rapper appeared at their Los Angeles office unannounced, forcing the executives to escort him out of the premises. This proves that his anti-Jewish comments adversely affected his businesses resulting in massive losses.
In another case, JP Morgan Chase severed its ties with the rapper. Nevertheless, some reports indicate that the bank ended its association with Ye’s Yeezy label on September 20, 2022, even though the news was publicized ten days prior (Sen Gupta). Furthermore, the Gap, which terminated its partnership with Ye in September 2022, has announced its plan to eliminate all Yeezy products from all its stores (Sen Gupta). The company has also closed the YeezyGap.com website following the controversy (Sen Gupta). All these companies severed their ties with the singer due to his offensive remarks and erratic behavior.
Ye’s non-music activities have suffered a significant blowback from his anti-Jewish comments. In this case, Donda Sports, the artist’s sports organization, lost two key players after the controversy. Jaylen Brown, a player from Boston Celtics, and Aaron Donald, a Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle, quit the agency (Sen Gupta). In addition, Donda Academy, a Christian private school established by Ye and situated in California, was closed on 27 October 2022, affecting the academic calendar (Van Boom and Oscar). Therefore, Ye’s anti-Semitic remarks greatly triggered a series of adverse and unintended consequences, particularly for him.
Historical Overview of Other Celebrities Involved in Anti-Semitic Comments
Apart from Ye, several other celebrities have triggered a backlash from anti-hate groups, Jewish organizations, and a section of the public due to their offensive remarks targeting the Jewish people. In this case, Mel Gibson, an American actor, producer, and film director, is renowned for his anti-Semitic comments. For instance, in 1996, during a party, Gibson is alleged to have asked actress Winona Ryder, who is a Jew, whether she was “an oven-dodger” (Grisar).
The phrase is a derogatory term used to describe individuals of Jewish heritage, presumably in reference to the practice of being burned alive in ovens during the Holocaust. Similarly, in 2006, Gibson was pulled over for drunk driving on the Pacific Coast Highway, where he made derogatory remarks about the Jews and claimed that they were responsible for all the wars globally (Grisar). Nevertheless, Gibson later issued an apology claiming that he did not believe in his offensive comments.
Nick Cannon has also received backlash due to anti-Semitic remarks. Cannon, a musician, television show host, and actor, was criticized for supporting antisemitism on his podcast dubbed Cannon’s Class (Carter). In the episode aired in 2020, he interviewed Richard Griffin, popularly known as Professor Griff, who is renowned for his belief that Jews cause most of the wickedness that occurs across the world (Carter). During the interview, Cannon asked why people give much power to the ‘theys.’ In this context, the ‘theys’ included the Rothschilds, Illuminati, and the Zionists; he also added other anti-Semitic tropes (Carter).
Cannon’s anti-Jewish comments led to his dismissal from his comedy show Wild ‘N Out by ViacomCBS, the parent company; he was later rehired (Carter). John Galliano is another celebrity who attracted criticism for anti-Semitic remarks. In 2011, Galliano, a House of Dior designer, received blowback for his anti-Jewish verbal assault on a couple at a bar in Paris (Carter). In another scenario, a video of the designer announcing his love for Hitler surfaced, prompting Dior to dismiss him (Carter). Galliano later apologized for his utterances, hoping his atonement would grant him a second chance.
Similarly, Felix Kjellberg, popularly known as PewDiePie, suffered a significant backlash for posting extreme anti-Semitic content (Carter). According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2017, within six months, the gaming vlogger’s YouTube channel posted nine videos containing Nazi imagery and anti-Semitic humor (Carter). In one of the videos, paid performers held a sign with the inscription “Death to all Jews” (Carter). In addition, PewDiePie also filmed himself performing a Nazi “heil” salute. Although the YouTuber defended his content as being satirical rather than anti-Semitic, Disney terminated its working relationships with him (Carter). He later apologized for his “Death to all Jews” sketch admitting that his joke had far-reaching negative implications.
In conclusion, Ye has become one of the most controversial celebrities worldwide in recent years. From changing his name to posting offensive racial remarks, the rapper has gained a reputation for triggering public debates. However, his growing erratic behavior and constant anti-Semitic remarks have left many concerned that his sentiments may embolden the White Supremacist and other hate groups. Ye’s anti-Jewish comments have sparked a massive backlash resulting in the loss of several lucrative deals, adversely affecting his businesses. In this case, numerous brands, including Adidas, the Gap, and Balenciaga, have terminated their ties with the rapper. In addition, several agencies, including CAA and MRC, have also severed relations with the controversial artist.
Similarly, his non-music activities, such as Donda Sports and the Donda Academy, have also been adversely affected.
Nevertheless, Ye is not the only celebrity to comment negatively against the Jews. Public figures, including Mel Gibson, Nick Cannon, and John Galliano, have also been linked to anti-Semitic remarks. Therefore, it is yet to be established whether the ban on social media and the loss of his business deals will help the rapper reform and amend his ways.
Works Cited
Anguiano, Dani. “Chorus of Outrage Against Kanye West Grows as Antisemitic Incidents Rattle LA.” The Guardian, 2022. Web.
Browne, Ryan. “Kanye West, Who Now Goes by Ye, Agrees to Buy Conservative Social Media Platform Parler, Company Says.” CNBC, 2022. Web.
Carter, Simone. “Celebs Besides Kanye Who Faced Backlash Over Antisemitic Comments.” Newsweek, 2022. Web.
Grisar, PJ. “Absolutely Every Anti-Semitic Thing Mel Gibson Has Ever Said.” Forward, 2020. Web.
Rector, Kelvin. “More Antisemitic Hate Seen in L.A. After Kanye West’s Hateful Rants.” Los Angeles Times, 2022. Web.
Sen Gupta, Manas. “A Complete Timeline of the Kanye West Controversy and His Fallout with Brands.” Augustman, 2022. Web.
Thompson, Eliza. “Reese Witherspoon, Florence Pugh and More Stand Against Anti-Semitism After Kanye West Controversy.” US Magazine, 2022. Web.
Van Boom, Daniel and Oscar Gonzalez. “Why Ye Has Been Locked Out of Instagram Again.” CNET, 2022. Web.