Adidas announced on Thursday that it started an investigation regarding the allegations that Kanye West forced employees to watch explicit materials and had shown predatory behavior towards some female staff.
The investigation came following an earlier report that the sports brand’s management was aware of Ye’s inappropriate behavior but chose to ignore the issue.
In October, the sportswear manufacturer stated that the rapper’s antisemitic remarks had violated their company values and thus announced the end of their partnership with Ye’s Yeezy brand.
The rapper reportedly showed explicit materials to the employees and aggressively belittled and intimidated them, primarily targeting women. The report described the rapper’s behavior as “provocative and frequently sexualized.”
The details apparently came from a letter sent by former high-ranking employees, noting that such behavior was unacceptable and should have never been experienced by the staff.
Adidas stakeholder Union Investment commented on this, asking the sportswear manufacturer to release more details for when the supervisory board became aware of the issue.
Meanwhile, an Adidas spokesperson stated that they are still validating the allegations’ veracity but added that they were treating the issue very seriously and would launch an independent investigation to address it.
The sports brand also added that they were having active conversations with the employees involved, which was one reason for its decision to end the partnership with the rapper.
Adidas to Sell Yeezy Without Kanye West
Adidas announced in the earnings call earlier this month that it plans to continue selling Yeezy designs under its own brand.
Adidas CFO Harm Ohlmeyer noted that all existing Yeezy product and design rights belong to the sports brand, adding that they plan to use these rights as soon as 2023.
Ye and Adidas sold sneakers under the Yeezy brand for years, which according to analysts, account for around 7.00% of the company’s overall revenue. However, the sportswear manufacturer is expected to save about $302.00 million in 2023 as it will no longer need to pay for the musician’s royalties and marketing costs.
