Kanye West may have said, “The money is not who I am,” in a recent Instagram post, but the rapper does seem to be feeling the effects of losing multiple business deals over anti-Semitic comments and other controversial statements. After reportedly losing his billionaire status when Adidas severed their partnership, the rapper took to social media to say he’s been “beat to a pulp.”
Along with being dropped by Adidas following controversy that included wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt to a fashion show, anti-Semitic rhetoric and disputing the cause of death in George Floyd’s 2020 murder, Kanye West has also lost several other partnerships, including with fashion brands Balenciaga and Vogue. Just days after hiring Johnny Depp’s attorney Camille Vasquez, she, too, severed ties with Ye. In the wake of these losses, the “Heartless” singer posted to Instagram:
While I’m still allowed on Mark Zuckerberg platform I’m going to say this again. Let’s see the contracts. The film contracts. The sports contracts. The music contracts. The mortgages. Let’s see the contracts. So we can or better yet will do better business. I’ve been beat to a pulp and there’s still no accountability.
Kanye West previously stated that the backlash to “the Jewish comment,” as he phrased it, actually proved the point he was trying to make — that the public tries to “mute” people who hold opposing views. In the caption of the above social media post, Ye again wondered if the efforts to “destroy” his life prove that he was right. He said:
The ‘unknown powers’ are trying to destroy my life off of a tweet So does this prove that my so called suspicion was true? Leading with love This is #lovespeech
Kanye West began posting about “love speech” on Instagram following the rapper being escorted out of Skechers’ corporate office after arriving “unannounced and uninvited.” It’s possible he was trying to pivot quickly following the reported loss of $1.5 billion from his Adidas deal.
In addition to businesses distancing themselves from the controversial statements, a number of celebrities have denounced his behavior. Howard Stern said on his Sirius XM radio show that he was tired of mental illness being used as a defense for what the rapper says. Ye’s estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, and the other members of her famous family were among a slew of celebrities who released statements against hate speech and anti-Semitism.
As divorce proceedings continue between Ye and the reality TV star, Kim Kardashian has reportedly been receiving support from ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson, and possibly sought advice from Ivanka Trump, after the two were recently seen sharing a three-hour dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge.
As Kanye West starts to feel the effects of the business deals he lost, we’ll have to wait to see what his next move is, and if there will be more fallout in his personal and professional relationships.
