The internet is roiling with a familiar fury about Ye’s anti-semitic comments, which eventually led to retailers—including, notably, Adidas—cutting ties with the rapper.
But this time it’s not the recording artist who’s come under fire, but Adidas AG CEO Bjørn Gulden, who as a recent guest on the In Good Company podcast said Ye didn’t actually mean it.
“Very unfortunate, because I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person,” Gulden said on the podcast. “It just came across that way.”
Gulden also said Ye is “one of the most creative people in the world” and that Adidas’s partnership with him—which led to the Yeezy line—was “one of the industry’s most successful collaborations.”
Following criticism of his remarks, the CEO apologized via the head of the Anti-Defamation League on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying the company is dedicated to fighting anti-semitism, and that his words were merely a “misstatement.”
After severing ties with the singer last year, Adidas struggled for months to decide what it would do with $1.3 billion worth of unsold shoes and apparel.
There was even speculation the retailer might just destroy the inventory, until eventually Gulden announced the company would sell the stock and donate portions of the profits to organizations fighting anti-semitism.
Last we heard, Adidas was on track to meet its goal.
Retail news that keeps industry pros in the know
Retail Brew delivers the latest retail industry news and insights surrounding marketing, DTC, and e-commerce to keep leaders and decision-makers up to date.