Adidas and Kanye West End Legal Battle, Move Forward After Antisemitism Controversy

Adidas has concluded its “battle” with Kanye West regarding the antisemitic remarks he made in 2022, which disrupted their collaboration on the “Yeezy” line.

At the time, Adidas halted the collection and began selling off Yeezy inventory at wholesale prices. However, on Tuesday, the company announced that it had reached a settlement with West, effectively resolving all legal disputes.

“There are no outstanding issues, and no money is changing hands,” stated Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden during a conference call.

He noted that while there were tensions surrounding various matters, both parties agreed it was time to put an end to the conflict. “The drama with West belongs to the past,” he added.

“When conflicts arise, you make provisions, seek legal counsel, and engage in negotiations and settlements; this concludes it,” Gulden explained. “No one owes anything to anyone anymore. What was is now history.”

The end of this partnership leaves Adidas with approximately €1.2 billion (£840 million) worth of Yeezy inventory. The brand plans to sell the products in batches and donate the proceeds to non-governmental organizations, including its newly established anti-discrimination foundation. The final Yeezy stock is expected to be sold by the end of 2024.

This decision to move on from the “battle” sharply contrasts with Adidas’s stance in 2022, when the company stated it does “not tolerate antisemitism or any form of hate speech.” The brand had condemned West’s comments as “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous,” affirming that they violated its core values of diversity, inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness.

Adidas and West began their collaboration in 2014, which resulted in a highly successful sportswear line. Despite the controversy, demand for Yeezy products remained strong, with many items continuing to perform well in the resale market, fetching hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of pounds.

West faced suspensions from Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) after making a series of antisemitic remarks in October 2022. He reiterated these claims in various interviews and podcasts over the following months. In December of that year, he appeared on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s show InfoWars, where he expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.

The rapper, who has publicly battled bipolar disorder, was previously married to celebrity Kim Kardashian.