Kanye West Accused of Exhibiting Anti-Semitic Behaviour at Adidas – Pending Trademark Applications for ‘Yews’

Kanye West has been accused of exhibiting Anti-Semitic behaviour during his time at Adidas, according to a New York Times investigation.

The report claims that, during a meeting in 2013, West became frustrated with the designs presented for his Yeezy footwear line and drew a swastika to express his displeasure. He was also accused of telling Jon Wexler, Adidas’ then global director of entertainment and influencer marketing, to “hang a photo of Hitler in his kitchen and kiss it every day to practice unconditional love”. Wexler is Jewish.

West has further earned criticism for his alleged admiration of Hitler; he reportedly said that he believed the Nazi leader was a “master marketer” and wanted to name his 2022 album Hitler (but called it Ye instead). In 2018, West also allegedly told Adidas that he had paid a “seven-figure settlement” to the outgoing chief executive of the Yeezy operation, who accused West of “commending Hitler” and “creating a hostile workplace”.

The rapper’s alleged Anti-Semitic behaviour ultimately led to Adidas cutting ties with him in October 2022, after he made Anti-Semitic statements on social media. West denied that his remarks were Anti-Semitic, claiming they were “not factual”. He was later labelled the ‘Antisemite of the Year’ by StopAntisemitism and widely condemned.

In a recent development, West has reportedly filed several trademark applications for the use of ‘Yews’. The applications are still pending review.

West’s alleged Anti-Semitic behaviour has sparked outrage among many, and the public awaits to see if the musician will face any consequences for his actions.