German sports apparel company Adidas has launched an investigation into allegations that rapper Kanye West bullied employees and forced them to watch pornography during his now-dissolved sneaker partnership with the business.
Adidas said it launched the probe after receiving an anonymous letter about the allegations against West, who has legally changed his name to Ye and formerly had a lucrative partnership with the company to sell his Yeezy sneaker brand.
“It is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true,” a spokesperson for the company said. “However, we take these allegations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address the allegations.”
Rolling Stone magazine first reported the details about the letter, which was written by former Yeezy team members who have kept their names anonymous.
The letter alleges Ye forced employees who worked on the Yeezy team to watch porn videos, look at sexually explicit photos of his wife Kim Kardashian (who has filed for divorce) and even view Ye’s own sex tapes.
Ye also belittled and intimidated employees with aggressive behavior, often targeting women, according to Rolling Stone. Yeezy team members accuse Adidas leadership of being aware of Ye’s “problematic behavior” but not stepping in to curb it.
The letter outlining the allegations was sent to Adidas leadership on Tuesday night.
Adidas cut ties with Ye after the rapper made a round of antisemitic comments last month. Ye lost his billionaire status after Adidas axed the partnership.
An Adidas spokesperson on Thursday reiterated the company “does not tolerate hate speech and offensive behavior.”
“We have been and continue to be actively engaged in conversations with our employees about the events that lead to our decision to end the partnership,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “They have our full support and as we’re working through the details of the termination.”
Adidas investigating allegations of misconduct from Kanye West
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