The Weeknd has cuts ties with H&M after the retailer used a black child to showcase a hoodie emblazoned with “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle.”
Other hoodies were modelled by white children.
The Canadian singer tweeted Monday that he was “shocked and embarrassed by the photo,” which appeared on the H&M website in the UK.
“I’m deeply offended and will not be working with H&M anymore,” he wrote.
woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore... pic.twitter.com/P3023iYzAb
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) January 8, 2018
The Weeknd collaborated with the Swedish retailer last year on some pieces for his XO brand and appeared in a marketing campaign.
The photo of a black boy wearing the hoodie sparked controversy on social media but H&M was quick to apologize.
“The image has been removed from all online channels and the product will not be for sale,” read a statement. “We believe in diversity and inclusion in all that we do and will be reviewing all our internal policies accordingly to avoid any future issues.
“We are deeply sorry that the picture was taken.”