German apparel company Adidas is opening an investigation into reports that Kanye West used sexual antics on staff.
Adidas has launched an investigation into claims that Kanye West misconducted himself in the presence of company staff. According to the German sportswear and apparel giant, it is probing accusations that the American rapper and fashion icon behaved inappropriately towards its employees. The Adidas investigation comes on the heels of a Rolling Stone article published Tuesday, which stated that West showed pornographic images to Yeezy staff. The Rolling Stone report alleges that the hip hop artist, now known as Ye, used this hardcore sexualized material during meetings to control staff. In addition, the eccentric fashion mogul and musician also reportedly made sexualized remarks to female staff.
Reacting to the lewd allegations levied against West, Adidas said in a statement:
“It is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true. However, we take these allegations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address the allegations.”
One of Adidas’ largest shareholders, Union Investments, also wrote to the apparel giant asking for more information regarding the claims.
Adidas Investigation to Also Probe Reported Complicity by Senior Staff Members towards Kanye Antics
The Rolling Stone publication stated that a group of former workers sent an anonymous letter to Adidas accusing the company’s senior leaders of complicity. According to the aggrieved staff, several high-ranking Adidas representatives, including a designated vice president, turned a blind eye to West’s offensive antics. Furthermore, the anonymous attendees also stated that the authoritative figures took delayed action over the situation.
Details of West’s alleged sexual manipulation of Adidas’ Yeezy staff include showing explicit images of his then-wife Kim Kardashian. Said images featured the former couple in homemade sex tapes and West’s sexual encounters with other women.
According to eyewitnesses, one such instance where West used sexually disturbing references to provide design feedback occurred in China. West allegedly told a female staffer at a Yeezy prototype exhibition, “I want you to make me a shoe I can f*ck”. In another instance in America, the brash rapper displayed a hardcore pornographic scene depicting a female degrading sex act to a rising creative at Adidas.
Adidas Has Severed Ties with West
The Adidas investigation into the alleged conduct of Kanye West comes several weeks after the apparel giant terminated its partnership with the estranged rapper. Exactly a month ago, Adidas severed its Yeezy collaboration with West following a series of anti-Semitic outbursts by the outspoken music icon. Referring to West’s comments as “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous,” the company said, “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech”. In addition, the German sportswear brand also stated that West’s vitriol violated its “values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
The termination proved costly for both parties, with Adidas reportedly incurring a $246 million loss to rip up West’s contract. However, the disgraced rapper suffered a much steeper loss that saw over a billion dollars wiped off of his net worth. As a result, West fell out of the Bloomberg billionaire’s index, plummeting from $2 billion to around $400 million.
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