Controversy Over Anti-Semitism Surrounding Hip-Hop Star Ye, Alleged 'Gapjil' Toward Adidas?

Adidas Launches Internal Misconduct Investigation Following Anonymous Tip
Years of Verbal Abuse and Harassment... Allegations of Company Silence Emerge

Adidas recently received a whistleblower report regarding inappropriate conduct within the company related to the collaboration on the 'Yeezy' line and has launched a fact-finding investigation. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Recently, sports brand Adidas, which announced the termination of its partnership with American hip-hop star Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), has launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct committed by Ye within the company after receiving an anonymous tip.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others on the 24th (local time), Adidas received a tip on the 22nd titled "The Truth About Yeezy: A Call to Action for Adidas Leadership." The tip claimed that Ye engaged in inappropriate behavior within Adidas during their years of collaboration, and that the management was aware of this but turned a blind eye to his actions.

Earlier, Adidas announced last month that it would terminate its partnership with Ye's "Yeezy" line following his anti-Semitic remarks. Experts estimated that the Yeezy line accounted for about 8% of Adidas's total company revenue. As a result, Adidas faces the dual challenge of massive losses and addressing employee dissatisfaction. Former Adidas employees told WSJ in interviews that Ye viewed and showed pornography during work hours and meetings. Among the photos Ye showed employees were "very explicit and private" images of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. These actions targeted female employees.

Additionally, employees reported that Ye fired staff without authority and later rehired them, and reprimanded employees in front of colleagues. Adidas employees conveyed concerns about Ye's behavior to senior executives and HR personnel for years, but the company reportedly persuaded employees that tolerating Ye's behavior was necessary to remain with the famous team.

The tip sender criticized in the letter, "While employees endured verbal abuse, vulgar insults, and bullying attacks for years, Adidas lacked responsibility and protection for its employees." The author urged Adidas executives and the next CEO to address the "harmful and confusing environment" created by Ye and the "pattern of brutal behavior toward women." In response, Adidas stated in a press release, "It is unclear whether the allegations in the tip are true, but we are taking them seriously," and announced that it had decided to immediately launch an independent investigation to ascertain the facts of the misconduct.

Adidas had collaborated with Ye since 2013, but after Ye faced severe public backlash for his anti-Semitic remarks, Adidas officially announced on the 25th of last month that it would sever ties with Ye and immediately halt production of the Yeezy line. At that time, Adidas stated, "We do not tolerate anti-Semitism," and described Ye's recent remarks as "dangerous and hateful." Ye had previously publicly accused Adidas of stealing his designs and claimed he played a decisive role in the company's success.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.