After a pointed Instagram post from Kanye West accusing Adidas of continuing to benefit from his Yeezy designs despite their severed partnership, the iconic brand has taken swift action. As of Wednesday night, Adidas has removed all references to Yeezy products from its website, signaling an apparent response to the rapper’s demands.
West’s grievances, shared publicly on Tuesday, focused on the visibility of Adidas-related Yeezy content over Yeezy’s own site in online search results. He stated, “Stop doing this. Stop doing your moves to hold me back. Our partnership is done.” The following day, Adidas appeared to address the issue by removing Yeezy-related product pages, past news articles, and images from their digital platform.
This move aligns with Adidas’ previously announced plans to completely sever ties with Yeezy by the end of 2024. During an October 2024 press conference, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden declared that the brand was eager to move forward:
“There [aren’t] any more open issues. And there is no money going either way. There were tensions on many issues [but] both parties said we don’t need to fight any more… [It] belongs in the past.”
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Adidas began distancing itself from Kanye West in 2022 following his widely condemned anti-Semitic remarks. The controversy led to a complete dissolution of their partnership, with Adidas issuing a formal statement condemning West’s comments. Despite this, Gulden later suggested during a 2023 podcast appearance that West’s remarks may not have reflected his true intent:
“I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person. It just came off that way… I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world.”
The latest development further underscores Adidas’ intent to move beyond its contentious relationship with Kanye West and the Yeezy brand. The decision to remove Yeezy content from its site seems to mark a decisive chapter in the fallout between the two parties.
