Adidas said Thursday it is reviewing its partnership with Ye after the rapper sported a shirt emblazoned with “White Lives Matter.”
“After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” read a statement from the German company.
“Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision. The adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry's history.”
Ye has been under fire since wearing the “White Lives Matter” shirt at a Paris Fashion Week event. The phrase has been used by white supremacist groups and denounced by the U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League.
On Tuesday, Ye doubled down, writing in an Instagram Story: “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it’s over. You’re welcome.”
In its statement, Adidas, said “all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values.”
Ye responded in a since-deleted Instagram post: “F******CK ADIDAS. I AM ADIDAS. ADIDAS RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS.”
Adidas and Ye have been in business together since 2013 but the rapper has recently accused the company of not letting him have enough control over his Yeezy collection and of “copying my ideas.”
In an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson that aired Thursday, Ye said he thought the “White Lives Matter” shirt “was a funny shirt” and blamed the controversy on “a group mob” of “liberal Nazis.”
Ye said: “They’re looking for an explanation — as an artist you don’t have to give an explanation but as a leader you do. So the answer to why I wrote ‘White Lives Matter’ on a shirt is they do. It’s an obvious thing.”