New controversy for Kanye West: his former partner Adidas announced Thursday, November 24 the opening of an investigation after group employees accused the rapper of inappropriate sexual behavior and intimidation.
The German sports equipment manufacturer, who had severed his ties with Kanye West in October following anti-Semitic remarks, is accused of having turned a blind eye to these actions.
An investigation by the American magazine Rolling Stone unveils these accusations, which are based on testimonies from former Adidas employees who worked for the Yeezy sneaker brand, developed in partnership with Kanye West.
The rapper is accused in the magazine of having presented pornographic videos and photos - including an intimate photo of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian - to Adidas employees and of having had against them for years inappropriate behavior.
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Several former senior executives of Adidas this week sent a letter to the leaders of the group to communicate their grievances.
"
It is unclear at this time whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true
," Adidas said in a statement.
“
However, we take these accusations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an immediate independent investigation into this matter
,” he added.
According to Rolling Stone, former executives working for the Yeezie brand accuse the company of not having sufficiently protected its employees against
Kanye West's "
perverse predatory behavior " "
against women
".
The latter believe they have experienced "
years of verbal abuse, vulgar tirades and intimidation maneuvers
".
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"
In recent years
, Kanye West "
has lashed out at female
'collaborators'
with insulting remarks, resorting to disturbing sexual references when commenting on sneaker design
," the letter laments.
Rolling Stone chronicles a 2017 scene at an Adidas factory in Qinyuan, China, where the rapper came to examine prototype shoes.
He then, according to the magazine, began to shout his displeasure at the result before approaching an employee and throwing to her: “
I want you to make me shoes that I can + kiss +
”.
moral compass
In the letter, Adidas management is criticized for having deactivated its "
moral compass
" by "
ignoring both Kanye's incendiary public behavior and the complaints of the Yeezy team
".
The sportswear brand cut ties with Kanye West in October over his anti-Semitic remarks.
A few days earlier, the rapper, who says he suffers from bipolar disorder, appeared wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "
White Lives Matter
" at a fashion show in Paris.
This slogan, used by the American far right, hijacks the name of the “
Black Lives Matter
” movement, which campaigns against racism against African-Americans.
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The collaboration between Adidas and the American star has long been one of the most successful in the fashion world.
Developed since 2014, the Yeezy sneaker collection has enjoyed phenomenal success that helped make Kanye West a billionaire.
Along with Beyoncé, Stella McCartney and Pharrell Williams, Kanye West was among the celebrities with whom Adidas has partnered to appeal to customers in the lifestyle segment.
Relations between the two partners had deteriorated significantly in recent months in connection with the various escapades of the star.
"
Ye
", the rapper's nickname, was suspended on Twitter after writing that he was going to attack Jews in a post since deleted by the social network for breaking its rules.
He was also suspended from Instagram.
The fashion house Balenciaga and the American ready-to-wear chain Gap have also severed their ties with Kanye West.