Adidas to launch investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior made against Kanye West - CNN

CNN Business  — 

Adidas volition statesman an probe into allegations of misconduct against Kanye West, with whom the institution had a concern that it ended successful October.

In a connection released Thursday, Adidas said “it is presently not wide whether the accusations made successful an anonymous missive are true. However, we instrumentality these allegations precise earnestly and person taken the determination to motorboat an autarkic probe of the substance instantly to code the allegations.”

The connection follows an nonfiction successful Rolling Stone which reported that Adidas committee members ignored inappropriate behaviour from the rapper, who legally changed his sanction to Ye, successful its concern with his Yeezy brand.

Rolling Stone says it obtained a missive sent by erstwhile high-ranking employees of Yeezy to enforcement committee members connected Tuesday astir “the toxic and chaotic situation that Kanye West created.” The missive went connected to say, “This benignant of effect from a marque spouse is 1 that Adidas employees should ne'er beryllium subjected to, nor should Adidas enactment ever tolerate.”

Adidas ended its concern with Ye aft helium made a bid of antisemitic remarks successful caller months. In precocious October, West addressed the antisemetic comments — arsenic good arsenic as what he’s said astir George Floyd and Black Lives Matter — successful a rambling 16-minute video shared by WmgLab Records connected YouTube and seemingly recorded astatine immoderate constituent aft Adidas ended its concern narration with him.

“I deliberation Adidas felt similar origin everyone was ganging up connected maine that they had the close to conscionable instrumentality my designs,” West told a tiny crowd.

In the video, West did not apologize for his antisemitic remarks but seemed to effort to region himself from immoderate “hate group.”

“I person nary relation to immoderate hatred group,” West said arsenic helium closed his remarks successful prayer. “If immoderate hatred happens upon immoderate Jewish person, it is not associated (gestures to himself) due to the fact that I americium demanding that everyone locomotion successful love.”

Adidas had partnered with West since 2013, erstwhile the institution signed his marque distant from rival Nike. In 2016, Adidas expanded its narration with the rapper, calling it “the astir important concern ever created betwixt a non-athlete and an diversion brand.”

West doesn’t presently person an lawyer oregon publicist representing him successful this matter.

- CNN’s Dan Heching contributed to this report