Adidas allegedly created a ‘Yzy hotline’ to manage Kanye West

Adidas allegedly created a ‘Yzy hotline’ to manage Kanye West

Adidas created a message chain called the ‘Yzy hotline’ to manage Kanye West, according to a new report.

The sportswear brand cut ties with West back in 2022, following a series of remarks from the rapper last year that were viewed as antisemitic. The two had collaborated on the Yeezy brand for years.

Now, according to a new report shared by the New York Times, a group of employees for Adidas supposedly started a text message chain to air out the problems in their collaboration.

Called the ‘Yzy hotline’, the chain began in 2018 and featured a number of executives and managers from the brand. It was reported by the outlet as an “ongoing effort to help Mr. West, contain him, or somehow do both.”

According to examples shared in the article, one manager wrote a message saying West “doesn’t understand how his money works and he only trusts adidas,” after having a call with the musician in 2019.

Other messages reported allegedly saw the employees become concerned with the musician’s “shifting, outsize expectations and his vehemence in their private dealings”, and saw Jim Anfuso – the general manager of the Yeezy unit – tell the executives that he favoured paying West to make a clean break.

Kanye West onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. CREDIT: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

It remains unclear whether the issues discussed on the ‘Yzy hotline’ ever reached Adidas’s supervisory board, and the New York Times confirmed that both a company spokeswoman and former CEO Kasper Rorsted declined to comment on the reports. West’s representatives have not yet commented on the allegations.

The outlet also added that Adidas’s publicly released annual reports reflected no discussion of problems in the Yeezy partnership until 2022.

Elsewhere in the report, current and former employees of Adidas and West claimed that the musician had reportedly been engaging in antisemitic behaviour since early meetings in 2013.

It claimed that the rapper apparently drew a swastika to express his displeasure, and told an Adidas colleague, Jon Wexler, to “hang a photo of Hitler in his kitchen and kiss it every day to practice unconditional love”. Wexler, Adidas’ then global director of entertainment and influencer marketing, is Jewish, and reportedly yelled at West for the remark.

Following West’s departure from Adidas, it was later revealed that the sportswear company would sell leftover Yeezys and donate a portion of the profits to charity.

In August, they announced the huge sale of the first batch of products, with money from the sales going towards organisations and charities supporting those most affected by the rapper’s comments.

Kanye West outside Givenchy, during Paris Fashion Week – Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023. CREDIT: Edward Berthelot/GC Images/Getty Images

Similarly, earlier this year, CEO Bjorn Gulden admitted that the sportswear company’s severed partnership with West and his Yeezy brand was “hurting” the business.

Gulden shared that sales were particularly affected in North America, which had seen a 20 per cent loss. The Yeezy loss also cut sales by €400m (£350 million) in the first quarter of 2023.

Last month, however, the business mogul did confirm in a podcast interview that he doesn’t think the rapper is “a bad person”.

“I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world, both in music and what I would call street culture. He’s extremely creative,” he said. “I don’t think he meant what he said,” he added, referring to the seemingly antisemitic comments he made. “I don’t think he’s a bad person, it just came across that way.”

You can view the original article HERE.

Diddy Claims Prosecutors Showed Judge Edited Cassie Video to Make Him Look Dangerous
Diddy Claims Prosecutors Showed Judge Edited Cassie Video to Make Him Look Dangerous
Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and more step out in style to celebrate country music’s biggest night
Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and more step out in style to celebrate country music’s biggest night
Kim Zolciak, Kroy Biermann Told by Cops to Stay Away From Each Other
Kim Zolciak, Kroy Biermann Told by Cops to Stay Away From Each Other
The joy of the celebrity look-alike contest
The joy of the celebrity look-alike contest
Black Harvest Film Festival 2024: Disco Afrika, It Was All a Dream, Dreams Like Paper Boats | Festivals & Awards
Black Harvest Film Festival 2024: Disco Afrika, It Was All a Dream, Dreams Like Paper Boats | Festivals & Awards
Dawsons Creek Had a Perfect Spin-Off, But No One Watched It
Dawsons Creek Had a Perfect Spin-Off, But No One Watched It
'Bad Sisters' Exclusive Clip – Wednesday November 20th Episode
'Bad Sisters' Exclusive Clip – Wednesday November 20th Episode
Tokyo International Film Festival 2024: Daihachi Yoshida on Prize-Winning “Teki Cometh” | Festivals & Awards
Tokyo International Film Festival 2024: Daihachi Yoshida on Prize-Winning “Teki Cometh” | Festivals & Awards
Here’s every song on the ‘Cruel Intentions’ TV series soundtrack
Here’s every song on the ‘Cruel Intentions’ TV series soundtrack
Zayn Reunites With One Direction at Liam Payne’s Painful Funeral
Zayn Reunites With One Direction at Liam Payne’s Painful Funeral
There is money being made in live music – give it back out to the people
There is money being made in live music – give it back out to the people
Diddy Accused of Witness Tampering, Intimation from Jail
Diddy Accused of Witness Tampering, Intimation from Jail
Fun and Frugal DIY Christmas Ornaments
Fun and Frugal DIY Christmas Ornaments
Draymond fires back at ‘janky’ Jenkins, Edey over foul
Draymond fires back at ‘janky’ Jenkins, Edey over foul
Skenes’ rookie award traps Pirates in uncomfortable situation
Skenes’ rookie award traps Pirates in uncomfortable situation
Jones: McCarthy hasn’t lost Cowboys’ locker room
Jones: McCarthy hasn’t lost Cowboys’ locker room
‘Gladiator 2’ Director Explains Why the Twin Emperors Are “So F**King Crazy”
‘Gladiator 2’ Director Explains Why the Twin Emperors Are “So F**King Crazy”
Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 8 Review: Torres’ Guilt & Reid’s Mysterious Agenda Result in Tense Midseason Finale!
Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 8 Review: Torres’ Guilt & Reid’s Mysterious Agenda Result in Tense Midseason Finale!
The Untold Story’ Trailer Unearths the Dark Crimes Behind the Scenes
The Untold Story’ Trailer Unearths the Dark Crimes Behind the Scenes
Is the ‘Friday Night Lights’ Reboot Necessary?
Is the ‘Friday Night Lights’ Reboot Necessary?
The Best Fashion and Grooming Men’s Gifts
The Best Fashion and Grooming Men’s Gifts
Miley Cyrus For Harper’s Bazaar, Louis Vuitton Taps Callum Turner, & More!
Miley Cyrus For Harper’s Bazaar, Louis Vuitton Taps Callum Turner, & More!
Meredith Marks Loves Caviar, Jewelry, & Being On Time!
Meredith Marks Loves Caviar, Jewelry, & Being On Time!
Charli XCX Takes Over Times Square With H&M
Charli XCX Takes Over Times Square With H&M