Kim Kardashian condemned hate speech and shared support for the Jewish community amid widespread anger over antisemitic statements expressed by her ex-husband Ye, the rapper and fashion designer formerly known as Kanye West.
“Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” Kardashian tweeted Monday. “I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”
Ye had in recent weeks shared a string of posts apparently aimed at the Jewish community, which were removed by Twitter and Instagram and prompted both platforms to lock his account temporarily. Screenshots shared on social media showed Ye saying he would go “death con 3” on “JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to Defcon, the U.S. military defense readiness system.
Calls for Kardashian to speak out intensified over the weekend when a hate group hung a banner on a Los Angeles highway overpass that read, “Honk if you know Kanye is right about the Jews,” while performing Nazi salutes to widespread condemnation.
German sportswear company Adidas announced Tuesday it would terminate its partnership with the artist, who has earned it billions though his Yeezy fashion brand. Fashion brand Balenciaga recently severed ties with Ye following his recent comments.
“I can say antisemitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?” Ye recently boasted in an interview with podcast “Drink Champs,” which was subsequently pulled from YouTube. Adidas said it “does not tolerate antisemitism” and would end its partnership with Ye and end production of Yeezy-branded products. The move is expected to cost the company up to $250 million in net income this year, it said.
In the same interview, Ye propelled false claims about George Floyd, the Black man killed at the hands of Minneapolis police. As a result, the Floyd family is taking legal action against Ye, who falsely claimed that Floyd died of drug abuse and not as a result of police violently restraining him.
Kardashian’s response came after many people on social media urged her to use her colossal reach to raise awareness about hate speech and to denounce Ye publicly.
Others have argued that Kardashian should not be pressured to denounce the actions of her former spouse.
“Kanye’s behavior has absolutely NOTHING to do with Kim and she is not to blame for A SINGLE thing he says. Stop making excuses for his actions. Hold him accountable,” read one tweet.
Kardashian filed for divorce from Ye earlier this year and the pair have four children together. Both sides have spoken publicly about the separation and Kardashian has in the past asked for “compassion and empathy” regarding her husband’s bipolar disorder. Ye has frequently used social media to attack the Kardashian family.
