Adidas Reaches Out-of-Court Settlement with Kanye West

Adidas has officially settled with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, ending all legal issues between them. This settlement comes two years after Adidas cut ties with Ye in 2022, ending a partnership that began in 2013.

According to The Wall Street Journal, neither Adidas nor Kanye west will pay the other any money, and all claims between them have been dismissed.

Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden announced the settlement while also revealing that the company’s third-quarter profits jumped by 71%, reaching 443 million euros ($479 million), well above the expected 388.4 million euros ($422 million).

Adidas ended its partnership with Ye after he made controversial comments in an episode of Drink Champs, where he said, “I can say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me.”

Following public backlash, Adidas released a statement saying it does not tolerate hate speech and condemned Ye’s comments as “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous.” Adidas then stopped producing Yeezy products and cut off payments to Ye.

“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”

“After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products, and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.”

Ye had previously made statements that many viewed as offensive, especially toward companies and individuals in the fashion and entertainment industries. This settlement allows Adidas to move on as the brand continues to see strong financial growth, officially closing its chapter with Ye and the Yeezy brand.