FILE - Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. West’s Twitter and Instagram accounts have been locked because of posts by the rapper, now known legally as Ye, that were widely deemed antisemitic, according to reports, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. West’s Twitter and Instagram accounts have been locked because of posts by the rapper, now known legally as Ye, that were widely deemed antisemitic, according to reports, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
PARIS (AP) — The Balenciaga fashion house has cut ties with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, according to a news report.
The move came after several offensive comments from Ye, including from Twitter and Instagram.
“Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,†parent company Kering in response to a query Friday without elaborating.
The company did not respond to multiple emails and calls from The Associated Press requesting comment. A representative for Ye also did not respond to a request for comment.
Ye had collaborated in several areas with Balenciaga and its artistic director, Demna Gvasalia. The label has also had an active relationship with Kim Kardashian, Ye’s ex-wife, who has appeared in their advertising campaigns and credits her former husband with introducing her to the brand.
Ye was recently blocked from posting on Twitter and Instagram over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies. He has also suggested slavery was a choice and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast.â€
After getting locked out of the social media platforms, he's
During Paris Fashion Week, the rapper walked as a model in Balenciaga’s ready-to-wear show — what designer Gvasalia at the time called an “iconic moment.†He was then seen at Givenchy’s collection wearing a Balenciaga-branded black tooth brace.
Ye was also criticized that week for wearing a to his Yeezy collection show in Paris and the shirt made an appearance on the runway itself. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, White Lives Matter is a neo-Nazi group.
In recent weeks, Ye has ended and has told Bloomberg that he plans to cut ties with his corporate suppliers. Adidas has placed its sneaker deal with Ye under review, and JPMorganChase and Ye have ended their business relationship — although the Ye's antisemitic comments.
