Adidas CEO: Kanye West didn’t mean antisemitic remarks
Reuters
AdidasKanye WestYeezy
Adidas ended its partnership with West, who now goes by the name Ye, in October 2022 after he sparked outrage with his erratic posts on social media, including a tweet in which he called for “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE”.
Commenting on the scandal which has cost Adidas tens of millions in lost sales, Gulden told the In Good Company podcast that Ye had made some statements that weren’t “that good”.
“I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person – it just came across that way,” the CEO said in an episode that aired on Sept. 13.
Gulden also praised Ye as “one of the most creative people in the world … both in music and what I will call street culture”.
An Adidas spokesperson said ties to Ye would remain severed and there was no change in the company’s position.
“Ending the partnership was appropriate,” he said.
Formerly at the helm of rival Puma
In May, after reviewing what to do with unsold Yeezy stock, Gulden announced that Adidas would sell some of the merchandise and donate part of the proceeds to organisations campaigning against racism and antisemitism.
Strong sales of Yeezy stocks have helped narrow a projected full-year loss at the company.
In the podcast, Gulden spoke of the dangers of working with celebrity collaborators: “When you work with third parties that could happen,” he said. “It’s part of the game.”
