Sporting goods giant Adidas is launching an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct made this week against US rapper and fashion designer Kanye West, including showing pornography to employees at company meetings.
Claims by unidentified Yeezy and Adidas employees, which surfaced in a Rolling Stone article on Tuesday, included claims that the musician, who changed his name to Ye, showed an intimate picture of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian during job interviews , and that his “problematic behavior” was overlooked by Adidas management.
Employee allegations, contained in a letter to Adidas obtained by the outlet, included claims that Adidas “turned off their moral compass” and failed to protect employees from “years of verbal abuse, vulgar tirades and bullying attacks”.
Adidas said in a statement on Thursday that “it is not currently clear whether the allegations made in an anonymous letter are true” but that it takes the allegations “very seriously” and has “made the decision to promptly conduct an independent investigation into the matter.” initiate to clear up the allegations”.
The sportswear brand initially said it would not “discuss any private conversations, details or events leading up to our decision to end the partnership with Adidas Yeezy,” but that it “has been and will continue.”[d] Actively engaging in conversations with our employees about the events that led to our decision to end the partnership.”
In an alleged incident in 2017, Ye yelled at a senior female member of the design team that a Yeezy sneaker was not up to standards. West reportedly looked up at his foot and the clerk and said, “I want you to make me a shoe to fuck.”
Analysts estimate that the Yeezy partnership accounts for 7% of the group’s revenue. Adidas has said it believes losing Yeezy will halve its expected profits this year. It’s not yet clear if Adidas will continue to sell the designs it owns without the Yeezy logo, which it doesn’t.
The decision to open an investigation comes after one of Adidas’ largest shareholders, Union Investment, called for clarity on the alleged incidents. Last month, Adidas canceled a licensing and design deal with Ye after making anti-Semitic threats.
Janne Werning, Head of ESG Capital Markets and Stewardship at Union Investment, which has a 1% stake in Adidas, told the Financial Times: “Adidas must disclose when the Management Board and Supervisory Board were first informed of the internal allegations.”