Adidas Investigating Kanye West After Ex-Workers Accuse Him Of Misconduct
By Taylor Linzinmeir
November 26, 2022
Adidas says it is investigating allegations of workplace misconduct by the rapper formally known as Kanye West, according to Billboard.
Former employees of Yeezy and Adidas coined an anonymous letter to the sportswear company accusing Ye of creating a toxic work environment, as reported by Rolling Stone. They claim he showed sexually explicit photos and videos in meetings, made vulgar comments and bullied those who worked for him. They also accused Adidas of knowing about Ye's alleged problematic behavior and looking the other way.
"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," Claudia Lange, head of media relations for Adidas, said in a statement (via Billboard). She added that the company is not sharing any additional details regarding the investigation at this time. Ye has not commented on the allegations.
Adidas, which made the Yeezy line, cut ties with Ye last month due to the rapper's offensive and antisemitic remarks. It said the brand is expected to take a hit of $246 million to its net income this year as a result.