Consequences follow Ye’s antisemitic remarks and misinformed comments about George Floyd’s death

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Outrage ignited after hip-hop artist Ye made offensive comments about Jewish people and George Floyd, prompting Floyd’s family to file a $250 million defamation lawsuit. Major voices condemned the artist, and many sponsors pulled their financial partnerships.  

Key Players

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is an American rapper, producer, songwriter, and fashion designer. One of the most critically acclaimed artists of the 21st century, he has sparked controversy in past years because of antisemitic, racist, and misinformed comments. 

On the “Drink Champs” podcast, record executive DJ EFN and rapper N.O.R.E. interview A-list hip-hop artists.

Further Details 

On Oct. 6, 2022, after Ye garnered negative attention by wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week, Ye sat down with Fox News host Tucker Carlson to discuss the stunt. 

During the interview, some of which was not aired, Ye made offensive comments about Jewish people, claiming that  Black people were actually the real Jews, and that Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, had worked with the Ku Klux Klan “to control the Jew [i.e. Black] population.”

The next day, on Instagram, Ye stated that Jewish people had “toyed with” him and “tried to black ball anyone who opposes” their “agenda.” He also tweeted that he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” and that he could not be considered antisemitic “because black people are actually Jew also.”

On Oct. 15, on “Drink Champs,” Ye said the death of George Floyd was caused by a fentanyl overdose instead of suffocation by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. He had watched the George Floyd documentary created by far-right political commentator Candace Owens and believed that Chauvin’s “knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.” He also said “Jewish Zionists” controlled the media and entertainment. 

“Jewish people have owned the Black voice, either it’s through us wearing the Ralph Lauren shirt, or it’s all of us being signed to a record label, or having a Jewish manager, or being signed to a Jewish basketball team, or doing a movie on a Jewish platform like Disney,” Ye said.

Shortly after, the Anti-Defamation League noted that various groups hostile to Jews, such as the Nation of Islam (NOI), had expressed support for the artist. “The same ones who terminated #KanyeWest from #Twitter are the same ones who were involved in the enslavement of our people,” said Rizza Islam, an NOI social media influencer, who previously said that Black people were the “true Jews” and thus could not be antisemitic.

Many expressed disdain over Ye’s comments, particularly his ex-wife, American media personality and socialite Kim Kardashian, who tweeted that “Hate speech is never OK or excusable.” 

Ongoing public outrage led “Drink Champs” to pull the episode and apologize, NPR wrote. N.O.R.E. also followed up with a personal apology during Hot 97’s “Ebro in the Morning.”

“I’m sorry, I can sit there and say, ‘That’s only Kanye West, it’s only what he said.’ But I have a responsibility when I have an audience. When I watched myself, I was embarrassed. I was like, ‘Wait a minute? You just let him say that?’ I’m irresponsible for letting it go,” N.O.R.E. said. 

Outcome

Corporations cut financial ties 

Several corporations severed their financial partnerships with Ye. 

Adidas did so only after a substantial delay. After cutting ties, the company stated that it “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech” and said Ye’s recent comments were “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous,” CNN Business reported. 

Kering, the parent company of luxury fashion house Balenciaga, said it no longer had “any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.” 

Creative Artists Agency dropped Ye as a client, and JPMorgan Chase ended its business relationship, Consequence reported. Meta deleted content on Ye’s account that violated its policies, and Twitter locked him out of his account on that platform. 

Floyd family files lawsuit, defamation claims could prove difficult 

On Oct. 18, Floyd’s family filed a $250 million lawsuit against Ye, seeking damages for defamation, harassment, misappropriation, and infliction of emotional distress, NPR reported. 

“Kanye’s comments are a repugnant attempt to discount George Floyd’s life and to profit from his inhumane death,” said a Floyd family attorney. “We will hold Mr. West accountable for his flagrant remarks against Mr. Floyd’s legacy.”

“Free Speech Rights do not include harassment, lies, misrepresentation, and the misappropriation of George Floyd’s legacy. Some words have consequences and Mr. West will be made to understand that,” another attorney stated. 

Roy S. Gutterman, the director of the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University, told NPR that the case could be legally challenging for Floyd’s family. “First off, there is no possibility of a defamation action here, because there would be no living plaintiff whose reputation has been damaged,” Gutterman said. “Libel and slander require a live plaintiff, and family members or surviving family members do not have standing to sue for defamation.”

Camille Vasquez, who had been hired to represent Ye, reportedly severed ties because of his refusal to retract his antisemitic comments. She previously represented actor Johnny Depp in his defamation lawsuit against actress Amber Heard, his former wife. 

High-profile athletes depart from Ye’s agency 

On Oct. 25, NFL football player Aaron Donald announced that he was leaving Ye’s sports agency because of his “recent comments and displays of hate and antisemitism,” which he and his wife saw as “the exact opposite of how we choose to live our lives and raise our children.” 

NBA player Jaylen Brown tweeted that he was “terminating” his association with Ye’s agency, adding that he “always, and will always, continue to stand strongly against any antisemitism, hate speech, misrepresentation, and oppressive rhetoric of any kind,” the Boston Globe reported. 

Demonstrators hang antisemitic banner over freeway

On Oct. 22, a small group of Los Angeles demonstrators hung a banner off a 405 freeway overpass that read “Kanye is right about the Jews.” The group also gave Nazi salutes, raising concern from local leaders and residents around Ye’s rhetoric, the Los Angeles Times reported. 

“We cannot tolerate the #AntiSemitism that was on full display today on an LA Fwy. #WhiteSupremacy is a societal cancer that must be excised,” tweeted Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who condemned the behavior as “disgusting.”

Floyd family retracts lawsuit, but future legal battle not out of the question

On Oct. 26, TMZ reported that the Floyd family had decided not to move forward with its lawsuit, temporarily standing down. 

The lawyer of Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, said the family felt that Ye had “complied with the demands made in the cease-and-desist letter,” but clarified that Philonise was not as involved in the case as other family members. 

As of Oct. 28, 2022, there were no further developments.