Controversial Beginnings: Kanye West's Adidas Collaboration and the Alleged Swastika Drawings and Porn Screenings

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Adidas raised concerns regarding Kanye West's actions that were deemed antisemitic and his excessive interest in pornography from the start of their partnership in 2013. However, many of these issues were disregarded until the company eventually terminated their contract in 2022. In a meeting held in Germany in 2013, during the early stages of their collaboration, West, who is 46 years old, expressed disappointment with the initial designs presented by the sneaker company, as reported in a New York Times exposé on Friday, October 27.

According to two participants, in order to express his strong disapproval of the designs, he forcefully took a shoe sketch and proceeded to mark the toe with a marker, drawing a swastika symbol. Investigating West's controversial partnership, the outlet made these claims.

The Times revealed that prior to the swastika incident, West reportedly compelled Adidas executives to watch pornography during a meeting at his Manhattan apartment, purportedly in an attempt to ignite creativity.

West's repeated antisemitic statements and actions, as well as his insistence that organizing porn watching parties would enhance the staff's creativity, persisted over a number of years. Multiple employees lodged complaints regarding his "sexually crude" remarks, and he was reportedly guilty of making "sexually explicit" comments to one of his global directors, Rachel Muscat. When West inked a new lucrative deal with Adidas in 2016, the company fought for a fresh clause that would safeguard their interests in the event that the "Jesus Walks" artist veered into morally or criminally objectionable behavior.

According to The Times, Kanye West accepted the conditions for terminating the contract with the brand. These conditions encompass a felony conviction, bankruptcy, 30 consecutive days of mental health or substance abuse treatment. Additionally, the agreement stipulates that any actions or behaviors that bring disrepute, contempt, scandal to West or negatively impact Adidas' image could be utilized as grounds for termination.

Two years later, however, allegations arose that West continued to express hate speech and endorse Nazi ideas at the workplace. According to reports, West disclosed to Eric Liedtke, Adidas's global brand manager and executive board member, as well as another manager, that he had paid a significant settlement to the previous chief executive of his Yeezy operation. The former chief executive had accused West of praising Hitler and creating a hostile work environment. (During that same year, West publicly confirmed his diagnosis of bipolar disorder.)

Jon Wexler, the former Adidas global director of entertainment and influencer marketing who is Jewish, also had an unsettling encounter with West during their partnership. As revealed in the exposé, Wexler informed his colleagues that West had instructed him to hang a picture of Hitler in his kitchen and kiss it daily as a practice of unconditional love.

Despite multiple reports of West displaying antisemitic behavior at work, it was not until 2022 that Adidas decided to end their association with the Grammy winner. This decision was prompted by West's social media outburst in October 2022, wherein he made derogatory remarks towards Jewish individuals and expressed hatred.

In response to these incidents, Adidas released a statement stating their zero-tolerance policy towards antisemitism and any form of hate speech. The company deemed West's recent actions and comments as unacceptable, hateful, and perilous, as they contradicted their core values of diversity, inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness.

Following the termination of their partnership, warehouses were left with $1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezy inventory. In spring 2023, the company began selling off the backlog, generating significant proceeds. From May to June, Yeezys reportedly brought in $437 million, a portion of which will be donated to various charities, including the Anti-Defamation League. The remaining revenue was divided between Adidas and West, as reported by The Times.

In September, Adidas faced criticism once again for its association with West when Bjorn Gulden, the current CEO, referred to their past partnership as "one of the most successful collaborations in history." During an appearance on the "In Good Company" podcast, Gulden expressed disappointment about how things ended with West, stating it was "very unfortunate." He then suggested that he didn't believe West genuinely meant what he had said.

Adidas promptly notified that Gulden had apologized for his remarks. In a September statement, the company affirmed that their decision to terminate their partnership with Ye due to his objectionable comments and conduct was the correct one. They emphasized that their standpoint remains unchanged.

We have contacted Adidas and West for their comments.