American rapper Kanye West has revealed the toll his controversial online behavior has taken on his marriage with Bianca Censori.
In a candid revelation through his latest track “BIANCA,” from the album WW3, Kanye lays bare the emotional fallout that led to his wife walking out.
The song narrates how Bianca experienced immense distress due to Kanye’s string of provocative posts on X (formerly Twitter).
“My baby she ran away, but first she tried to get me committed. Not going to the hospital ’cause I am not sick, I just do not get it,” Kanye rapped, sharing his perspective on the events leading up to her departure.
Bianca’s departure, Kanye admitted, came after she had a panic attack stemming from his relentless social media activity.
“She’s having a panic attack, and she is not liking the way that I tweeted. Until Bianca’s back I stay up all night, I’m not going to sleep. I really don’t know where she’s at,” Kanye continued in the heartfelt track.
Kanye’s lyrics also reveal his efforts to locate Bianca after realizing she had left their home.
He confessed to tracking her whereabouts using his car’s app, singing, “I’m tracking my b–h through an app, I’m tracking my b–h through the city. She hopped in the car and she ran. My b–h just doesn’t understand.”
In the same song, Kanye reflected on how Bianca’s family had called for him to be institutionalized due to his behavior.
He likened their relationship to that of Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie Ventura, stating, “I guess we’re the new Cassie and Diddy. I’m making this song for Bianca. I’m feeling the spirit of Donda.”
As the song draws to a close, Kanye pleaded for reconciliation, directly addressing Bianca. “Bianca, I just want you to come back. Come back to me. I know what I did to make you mad,” he rapped.
Kanye’s recent social media outbursts have included controversial statements and endorsements, which reportedly contributed to the strain in his marriage.
Among them were remarks supporting Sean Combs during his legal troubles with Cassie Ventura—a subject that also stirred public outrage.
While Kanye and Bianca have reportedly gone their separate ways, the rapper’s emotional track signals his desire to reunite, marking yet another chapter in his tumultuous personal life.
Kanye West’s personal life is once again making headlines, especially following the release of his emotionally charged track, “BIANCA,” from his controversial album WW3.
In this new song, West bares his soul, revealing the pain he feels over the end of his marriage to Bianca Censori.
His lyrics express his distress, particularly in light of the events that unfolded after his public rants on social media, which led to her decision to leave him.
Their relationship has been turbulent from the start. Although they married in December 2022, their marriage quickly became a subject of public scrutiny, with ups and downs that played out in the media.
West’s outbursts and controversial behavior, including erratic posts and blunt comments, reportedly had a heavy toll on Bianca.
Sources say these actions contributed to her emotional breakdown, which ultimately led to a panic attack and her choice to leave him.
In the song, West doesn’t hesitate to show his longing for reconciliation. “Please come back,” he sings, his voice full of vulnerability, making it clear how deeply he yearns for her return. His lyrics reflect his frustration and regret, as he faces the fallout of his own actions.
However, beneath the raw emotion of the track, other reports suggest that deeper issues played a role in the couple’s split. West’s controlling behavior may have been a significant factor in the unraveling of their relationship.
It’s alleged that he had a significant influence over Bianca’s professional decisions, even reportedly preventing her from pursuing her own career ventures.
This level of control, combined with West’s increasingly erratic actions, may have contributed to the breakdown of their marriage.
Ye confirms in a song named after Bianca Censori that she left him after trying to have him committed.
He says she had a panic attack due to his tweets. She took the Maybach and drove off — and he tracked her through the Maybach app. pic.twitter.com/MjzAzjahsw
Kanye West and Bianca Censoriare reportedly heading for a divorce, with sources close to the rapper confirming that the couple has already sought legal representation according to the Daily Mail.
Their relationship, which frequently made headlines for its bold public appearances, seems to have reached its breaking point following a series of controversies. The decision to part ways comes in the wake of their provocative appearance at the 2025 Grammys and Kanye’s inflammatory remarks on social media.
During the event, West allegedly instructed Censori to remove her fur coat, exposing a sheer dress that sparked widespread criticism.
Despite the backlash, the two were later seen in high spirits at a Grammy after-party. However, Kanye’s shocking social media outburst—where he made antisemitic comments and disturbingly praised Adolf Hitler—further fueled public outrage.
Now, as the fallout from these incidents unfolds, it appears that their whirlwind romance may be coming to an end.
News of their split comes as a shock to some of Ye’s fans on social media who initially believed the two were ‘meant for each other.’
A few days after Kanye’s wild rant on X, he began to post porn on his page, leading Elon Musk to censor his account which Ye reportedly deactivated later.
Kanye West recently sparked controversy with a Super Bowl commercial tied to his Yeezy brand, promoting a shirt featuring a swastika. The ad drew widespread backlash and was swiftly removed from the website.
West andBianca Censori, who had a private wedding ceremony in January 2023, often made headlines for their unconventional public appearances. While Censori embraced bold fashion choices that many deemed provocative, Kanye appeared unbothered by the criticism.
However, their relationship now seems to be over, with reports of an impending divorce. As the situation unfolds, many are closely watching to see how the split will play out.
Kanye West has reportedly reclaimed the title of the richest rapper, surpassing JAY-Z with an impressive net worth of $2.77 billion.
This comes from Eton Venture Services, a business valuation firm, which credits West’s financial comeback to his music assets and full ownership of the Yeezy brand.
On Thursday, 23 January, the music and fashion icon shared the news via an Instagram post, writing, “LAA LA LA LA,” in what appeared to be a celebratory jab at his critics.
If the reported numbers are correct, Kanye West’s net worth has surpassed JAY-Z’s, who is currently valued at $2.5 billion according to Forbes. The two, who once worked together on the popular Watch the Throne album, are the only rappers to reach the billion-dollar milestone.
Earlier reports that Dr. Dre and Diddy had also become billionaires have since been disproven.
Kanye’s return to billionaire status follows a challenging period. In 2022, his wealth dropped significantly after Adidas ended their profitable partnership with him due to his controversial antisemitic remarks.
Before the split, Forbes had estimated the partnership added $1.5 billion to his fortune, which was then around $2 billion. Afterward, his net worth fell to an estimated $400 million.
West later opened up about the financial strain he endured following the partnership’s collapse. Speaking to TMZ in 2024, he admitted, “I’m gonna be honest with y’all: I was two months from going bankrupt, really… And we survived. We survived through the cancellation.”
Despite facing challenges,Kanye kept ownership of the Yeezy brand and now runs it independently. The brand’s recent success, including making millions in sales from a single clothing release, has been key to his financial recovery.
Meanwhile, 50 Cent is aiming for billionaire status. The rapper and businessman claimed last year that he is close to becoming a billionaire, thanks to his successful media and spirits ventures.
The split between Kanye and Adidas was costly for the German company, which estimated a loss of about $246 million in 2022 due to the separation. However, it allowed Kanye to fully take charge of Yeezy, which has since shown strong growth and profitability.
Kanye West and Bianca Censori are reportedly on the verge of ending their marriage after less than two years together.
The pair, who tied the knot in December 2022, are said to be facing difficulties in their relationship, according to TMZ.
On Monday, October 7, the outlet revealed that the rapper and his wife, who works as an architect for Yeezy, have been informing close friends that they parted ways a few weeks ago.
The last public sighting of the couple was on September 20, when they were seen shopping in Tokyo.
Since then, they have kept a low profile and haven’t been spotted in public together.
Details about the cause of their separation remain unclear, as it’s unknown who initiated the split.
However, reports suggest that Censori has travelled to Australia to be with her family,while Kanye is preparingto relocate to Japan and proceed with the divorce.
Kanye West has said he will countersue his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, who filed lawsuits in court accusing him of sexual harassment and breach of contract.
According to Lauren Pisciotta’s lawsuit, the celebrity texted about her obscenity and engaged in sexual acts over the phone. Following Pisciotta’s rejection of her sexual approaches, West’s attorney has now labelled those claims as “baseless” and claimed that the actress was subjected to “blackmail and extortion.”
“In response to these baseless allegations, Ye will be filing a lawsuit against Ms. Pisciotta,” they added, using the rapper’s current preferred name.
Pisciotta is thought to have worked for West from 2021 to 2022, first on his fashion line and then as his $1 million (£780,000) annual personal assistant.
She claims that the celebrity sent her a tonne of sexual texts while she worked for him, some of which included links to explicit movies.
Additionally, Pisciotta stated that he once “trapped” her in a private room on his jet and that he then pledurised in front of her while speaking to her on the phone.
The former OnlyFans model claimed in her lawsuit that she was fired suddenly in 2022 and that she never got the promised severance pay.
West’s lawyer challenged the story, saying that Pisciotta “was terminated for being unqualified” and “demanding unreasonable sums of money,” including an annual salary of $4m (£3.13m).
They also accused Pisciotta of “lascivious, unhinged conduct,” claiming that she “consistently used sexual coercion” to demand money and material items, including designer handbags and a Lamborghini car.
The statement further alleged that, afterWest rejected her advances, Pisciotta attempted to blackmail him for $60m (£47m).
The BBC contacted Ms Pisciotta to request a response, but she did not immediately respond.
On Tuesday, she posted a message to her Instagram story that read: “Your soul becomes aligned with freedom when you allow others the liberty to dislike you, judge you and disagree with you.”
American rapperKanye West is facing a lawsuit from his former personal assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, who alleges that he sent her racist, vulgar, and inappropriate texts and videos.
According to the lawsuit, Pisciotta, a successful OnlyFans model, was hired by West in 2021 after he discovered her bikini pictures.
He reportedly offered her a $1 million annual salary on the condition that she delete her OnlyFans account, which she agreed to.
Shortly after being hired, Pisciotta claims West began sending her a series of offensive messages.
One text read: “See my problem is I be wanting to f,but then after f, I want a girl to tell me how hard they been fed while I’m fing them. Then I want her to cheat on me!”
TMZ reports that the messages continued to be extremely vulgar, including one where West allegedly said, “Is my d* racist? It is. This fing racist d of mine. I’m going to beat this fing racist d for being f*ing racist.”
Pisciotta also alleges that she received numerous explicit videos and photos from West, including at least two videos of him in intimate situations with a model.
Despite being promoted and offered a $4 million salary, Pisciotta claims she was fired in October 2022.
West allegedly promised her a $3 million severance package, which has not been paid.
Pisciotta is now suing Kanye West for breach of contract, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and creating a hostile work environment.
Kim Kardashian reveals the cause of her high-profile divorce from rapper Kanye West.
While acknowledging West’s stature as “the greatest rapper of all time” and “the wealthiest Black man in America,” Kardashian attributes their split to his character deficiencies.
In a recent episode of the Big Boss show, Kardashian candidly states, “I married the greatest rapper of all time. Not only that, he is the wealthiest Black man in America, a genuinely talented genius who gave me four amazing children. So when I divorced him, you have to understand it boiled down to just one thing: his personality.”
The divorce of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West was officially concluded on November 29, 2022. As per legal documentation, the former pair have joint custody of their four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.
The marriage of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian stood out as one of the most prominent relationships in the entertainment world. The duo exchanged vows in a lavish ceremony on May 24, 2014, in Florence, Italy, marking the climax of a highly publicized courtship.
Throughout their marital journey, Kanye West, an innovative rapper, and Kim Kardashian, a reality TV icon turned business tycoon, frequently made headlines with their opulent lifestyle, fashion preferences, and public appearances. Together, they emerged as one of the most discussed power couples in the media.
During their union, West and Kardashian welcomed four children: North, born in 2013; Saint, born in 2015; Chicago, born through surrogacy in 2018; and Psalm, also born via surrogacy in 2019. Their transition into parenthood captivated fans and media alike, with glimpses into their family life shared through social media and their reality series, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”
American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman Kimberly Noel Kardashian known popularly as Kim Kardashian recently opened up about the driving force behind her highly publicized divorce from billionaire rapper Kanye West, shedding light on the personal struggles that led to their split.
In a candid discussion on the Big Boss show, Kardashian acknowledged West’s immense talent and financial success, calling him “the best rapper of all time” and “the richest black man in America.”
However, she pointed to his character as the decisive factor that ultimately led to their separation.
“I married the best rapper of all time. Not only that, he is the richest black man in America, a talented legit genius who gave me four incredible kids. So when I divorced him you have to know it came down to just one thing, his personality,” Kardashian revealed during the episode.
The divorce, finalised on November 29, 2022, granted the former couple joint custody of their four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.
Their union, which began with a lavish ceremony in Florence, Italy, on May 24, 2014, captivated audiences worldwide, making them one of the most prominent power couples in entertainment.
Throughout their marriage, West and Kardashian’s extravagant lifestyle, fashion choices, and public appearances kept them in the spotlight, while their journey into parenthood with the births of North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm added another dimension to their story.
Despite their shared successes and family milestones, Kardashian’s recent revelation underscored the complexities that led to the dissolution of their high-profile relationship.
During a recent interview, rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, expressed his feelings about Jesus, stating that he has “issues with Jesus” and prefers to take matters into his “own hands” rather than giving Jesus full control.
The interview, which also featured rapper Ty Dolla $ign, a collaborator on Ye’s new album Vultures 1, was conducted by radio personality Big Boy and posted on his Big Boy TV YouTube channel on Sunday.
“I have my issues with Jesus,” West began during the interview, which lasted for over an hour. “There’s a lot of stuff I went through, and I prayed, and I ain’t see Jesus show up.”
“I had to put my experience in this world, my experience with my children, my experience with other people, my experience with my account, my experience with my brand and my experience with the level of music that I was dealing with, in my own hands.”
West criticized American Christians today for not being proactive enough when given opportunities to help others.
“I just feel like in our society and America, people, Christians will depend on Jesus so much that we don’t put the word in ourselves. And the main thing that I don’t rock with is like, ‘I’m going to pray for you.’ It’s just like, you can actually physically do something yourself, too, more than just praying.”
“And we’re so in this mentality that that’s all that needs to happen. But we aren’t praying our way out of prison. We aren’t praying our way out of the abortion clinics. We aren’t praying our way to get our land back that was always ours after gentrification after the Harlem Renaissance and Black Wall Street was burned to the ground. Them prayers are not working.”
The rapper argued that taking physical action is key to making things happen.
“We are going to have to apply actual physical building partnerships, and it don’t start unless we could really be real with each other,” the 46-year-old said.
“You know how many threats we’ve been dealt with. And I haven’t prayed my way through them threats either. I had to get up and do it myself. I had so much to do, I haven’t have time to pray.”
Later in the interview, West asserted that he is the god of himself.
‘Cause I’m God,” he said, when asked about his success in the music industry and how he hasn’t “disappeared.” “And anyone who wants to disagree, I’m the God of me. You can’t tell me who I am. I can’t tell y’all. I could tell y’all. It’s your job to listen. I’m the God of me. I don’t know if I’m in heaven already.”
In previous years, West attracted attention and made headlines for his apparent embrace of Christianity and his public conversion to the Christian faith. He released his album “Jesus is King” in 2019 and invested over $50 million in hosting “Sunday Service” events across the country, which he described as an attempt to spread the Gospel.
His recent comments in the interview sparked reactions from Christians online.
West faced criticism last month after referring to himself as “the new Jesus” in his album “Vultures 1,” released on Feb. 10. The album features a track titled “Carnival,” known for its explicit language and themes of sexual violence. This new album was a collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign.
Rap icon Kanye Omari West known popularly as Kanye West’s daughter North West, surprised attendees at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, March 10.
Making her musical debut on the Vultures 1 track “Talking,” North took centre stage as her father paused the event to share her exciting announcement.
With the crowd hushed in anticipation, North, also known as Northie, confidently revealed, “Hi, it’s Northie, and I’ve been working on an album for a long time.” The album, titled “Elementary School Drop Out,” pays homage to her father’s groundbreaking debut, “The College Dropout.”
Although the release date for North’s album remains uncertain, her Billboard Hot 100 debut with “Talking” last month has already established her as one of the youngest acts to chart, peaking at No. 30.
In attendance at the event were Ye and Kim’s other children, Chicago West (6) and Psalm West (4).
Meanwhile, Kanye West hinted at ongoing studio work for the long-anticipated Vultures 2, the follow-up to its predecessor that faced multiple delays.
Kanye mentioned that Vultures 2 will not be available on traditional streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.
In a recent DM exchange with a fan page, he explained, “Was talking with the team about how to release the next album. Like James Blake said, streaming devalues our music. We sell albums on Yeezy.com.” Kanye emphasised the potential impact of his social media presence, asserting, “I got 20 million Instagram followers.
When five percent of my followers buy an album, that’s one million albums sold, that’s 300K more than the biggest album last year.”
Watch video below:
Kanye bringing out Chicago & Psalm while North performs & announces her album pic.twitter.com/OyROO4gFSl
Multiple award-winning American rapper, Kanye Omari West, professionally known as Kanye West addressed criticisms surrounding his frequent social media posts featuring his wife, Bianca Censori.
West explained that the reason behind the extensive flaunting is simple, she makes him happy.
Responding to those who disapprove of his social media choices, the ‘Heartless’ hitmaker asserted that his wife’s presence brings him joy, and that happiness is a key inspiration for his music.
Unapologetically, West pledged to continue sharing moments with his wife on social media and encouraged those who couldn’t accept it to avoid his pages.
West expressed his stance in the video, saying, “Ima post my wife as much as I want, bro. It makes me happy. Some people don’t want you to be happy. They want you to make them happy. I decided to make myself happy, and I’m happy with it.”
West posted on Instagram that he wants to do shows at Eko Energy City in Lagos and Nyayo International Stadium in Nairobi.
West also wanted to perform at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt.
Even though the rapper hasn’t said anything officially, the list of tour dates has made fans in the two countries really excited. Some fans are sharing jokes about the concert on social media.
“Kanye wants to go to Kenya. I think he said he wants to visit the country with the same sounds as his name,” one person from Kenya wrote on X.
Some fans made fun of the rapper and said he should tell them the ticket prices sooner, so they can save money.
Kanye West, who now goes by the name Ye, has officially withdrawn his second presidential campaign, as confirmed by his personal attorney, Bruce Marks. This decision comes after a challenging first run for the rapper in 2020.
Ye’s initial campaign in 2020 was characterized by a late entry under the “Birthday Party” banner, limited ballot access in only 12 states, and a relatively low-profile campaign despite his immense popularity. Despite a significant financial investment, his election performance yielded just 60,000 votes nationwide. Now, with the confirmation that Ye will not be a candidate for office in 2024, it marks the end of his campaign efforts.
Kanye West, or Ye, appeared to face financial challenges in his recent campaign, with his Federal Election Commission filing showing no allocation of funds for primary expenditures and limited cash-on-hand. While an unnamed source suggested the possibility of Ye changing his mind, the absence of an organized campaign structure indicated a definitive end to his presidential aspirations.
As of the time of the article’s publication, neither Ye nor his attorney had provided comments or statements regarding the reported withdrawal from the presidential campaign.
North West, the eldest daughter of Kim Kardashian and Ye West, has disclosed that she is dealing with dyslexia. Kim Kardashian, a 42-year-old reality TV star, and Ye West, the rapper, are parents to North, as well as their other children: Saint, aged 7, Chicago, aged 5, and Psalm, aged 4. North bravely shared her experience with this learning disorder in a live TikTok video, with her mother by her side.
The 10-year-old told fans: “Guys, I have dyslexia. Do you even know what that is?”
Kardashian then interrupted before North could say anything more, saying: “Northy, you are sure spilling the tea on here.”
Both Kardashian and North refrained from providing further details about North’s dyslexia, with Kim explaining that she intentionally avoids discussing her daughter’s personal life.
In a separate development, Kim Kardashian admitted feeling “scared out of her mind” when she informed Ye West that she had hired a male nanny to care for their four children. However, during the October 19 episode of “The Kardashians,” she expressed her surprise at how receptive Kanye was to the nanny’s presence. Kanye even engaged in a conversation with the nanny about techniques he wished to implement to help his children become more independent.
Kanye West and his daughter North West who sings on the runway during the “Yeezy Season 8” show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 on March 02, 2020 in Paris, France.
She also said about how relieved she was at Kanye’s reaction to a male nanny: “I was like, ‘Oh my god. OK. That’s great.’ ”
Kardashian added she decided to hire a male nanny due to her home being “female-dominated.”
“I really wanted a male around that was going to be picking [them] up and taking them to sports,” she said.
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that can affect reading and language skills. Dyslexia is relatively common and can be managed with proper support and interventions. It’s also positive that her mother, Kim Kardashian, is supporting her in sharing this information, as it can help raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with learning differences. With the right assistance and resources, individuals with dyslexia can excel and overcome the challenges it presents.
Months of marriage speculation surrounding Kanye West and Bianca Censori have finally been confirmed by the Daily Mail, revealing that the couple did indeed married in secret. Their union took place under a confidential marriage license in California, emphasizing the private nature of their ceremony.
While prior reports had suggested the possibility of a non-legally binding wedding ceremony, as there was no concrete evidence of their union, the Daily Mail exclusively reported their official marriage status. Kanye West and Bianca Censori exchanged vows in a confidential marriage on December 20, 2022, just a month following West’s divorce from Kim Kardashian.
The secretive nature of their marriage had fueled speculation, but the acquisition of confidential marriage documents substantiates their legal union. According to the marriage license, the couple wed in Palo Alto, California, in Silicon Valley, opting for an undisclosed location. The documents were filed using their full names, with Kanye West’s name officially changed to ‘Ye’ in October 2021 from Kanye Omari West.
Ye and Bianca’s marriage was officiated by James Mayfield, a California-based officiant known for offering marriage ‘packages’ that start at $385 and do not require a courthouse ceremony. Notably, the confidential marriage license they obtained did not necessitate any witnesses. According to the documents, their marital residence is listed as West’s Wyoming ranch.
Kanye West acquired the $14 million ranch four years ago, but there has been limited development on the property since then. In July 2020, West initiated the construction of unfinished domes on the land, but he has not been seen at the location for several years.
A close friend of the couple shed light on their choice of a confidential marriage license, explaining that Ye’s enduring fame and his previous marriage to someone constantly in the public eye influenced their decision.
The source also highlighted the deeply private and affectionate nature of Bianca and Ye’s relationship, characterized by their strong devotion to each other.
“They prioritize creating moments exclusively for themselves, which explains their discretion regarding their wedding details, the source told the Daily Mail, adding that it is likely that only the two of them have the full knowledge of how their wedding unfolded.
Kanye West referred to Cardi B as an Illuminati-backed artist who doesn’t write her own lyrics in a leaked video from around 2018, purportedly from a documentary featuring West discussing the rapper “Bongos.” In the recording, West stated, “Cardi B is an Illuminati plant.”
“She don’t write her raps,” he said before adding, “She’s just there to sound as ignorant as possible. She’s literally replaced Nicki Minaj purposely. That they put her there, and now she doesn’t know what to do. She has no idea what the f### is going on. She thinks it’s a blessing from the universe, it ain’t no f###### blessing.”
Upon learning about the leaked video, Cardi B responded by sharing a different video of Kanye West expressing positive sentiments about her. She posted a clip on X (formerly Twitter) where Ye spoke favorably about her during a 2022 interview with Hollywood Unlocked’s Jason Lee.
“I always believed in her since she was on the show. Period,” the G.O.O.D. Music founder said, referencing Cardi’s stint on Love & Hip-Hop: New York.
She captioned her post simply with a red heart emoji.
The Grammy Award winner teamed up with Ye and Lil Durk in the 2022 song “Hot Sh*t.”
“I’m so happy that he gave me this verse. And I had a lot of conversations with Kanye West,” Cardi B explained to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in June 2022.
“I learned so much about him, and he’s such an amazing, sweet person. I’ve been feeling like I wish a lot of people [could] have conversations with him so they could just see the real him.”
Forbes has reported that Kanye West is poised to make a substantial financial gain from his 5 percent stake in Kim Kardashian’s highly successful shapewear brand, Skims, which has surged in value to an impressive $4 billion.
This significant increase in the brand’s worth has the potential to be a lucrative opportunity for West, given his ownership in the company.
KimKardashian co-founded the apparel company four years ago and it has become a unicorn four times over. Earlier this year, investors gave the company a $3.2 billion valuation, but the company has raised $270 million in a new funding round, according to the New York Times.
“It has grown quickly, and we’re so proud of that,” Kardashian told the Times. “We’ve had a really good flow of product launches.”
When the company first launched in 2019, it recorded sales of $2 million minutes after going public. The brand originally focused on shapewear but has now added swimsuits and loungewear to its collection.
She initially launched the brand under the name Kimono but changed it to Skims within days after fierce protests over the cultural appropriation of the name, which referred to a traditional Japanese style of clothing.
Once a billionaire, West now has a reported net worth of $400 million. His investment in Skims also accounts for his current net worth. The musician, entrepreneur and one of the few richest self-made Blacks in U.S. history, rose to fame in 2004 when he released The College Dropout album. Since then, he has been a celebrated music icon.
His early earnings came from his music, concerts and royalties until he ventured into entrepreneurship. Face2Face Africa previously reported that West has income coming from his $110 million music catalog. His exact net worth became a subject of controversy. While Bloomberg said he has a net worth of $6.6 billion, Forbes put his net worth at $1.6 billion. West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, subsequently dropped from the billionaires’ club after his net worth fell below the $1 billion mark, according to Forbes’ estimates. This was after German sneaker brand Adidas cut ties with him following a series of controversial comments on Twitter.
“Losing Adidas was the final nail in Ye’s net-worth coffin”, says Forbes, adding: “Now the road has ended.”
What remains of the rapper’s financial empire is his “real estate, cash, his music catalogue, and a 5% stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear firm, Skims.”
Kanye West’s Twitter account has been reinstated following an almost eight-month ban due to offensive tweets.
Kanye was charged with breaking the platform’s rules against inciting violence.
Since his return to the website, whose owner Elon Musk rebranded as X, he has not added any new content.
Ye’s account now shows his last post on 1 December 2022, a day before it was was suspended.
Musk said at the time that Ye had “violated our rule against incitement to violence”, and that the account would be suspended.
It came after the musician posted a series of offensive tweets – one of which appeared to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David.
The suspension followed a similar ban two months earlier, when Ye was initially locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts after posting anti-Semitic messages in October. Both platforms removed his posts.
In the same month, clothing giant Adidas cut ties with the rapper, saying it did “not tolerate anti-Semitism and any other sort of hate speech”.
Ye was also suspended from Instagram for 24 hours in March last year after using a racial slur in reference to comedian Trevor Noah.
Neither X or its billionaire owner Mr Musk have commented publicly on Ye’s account reinstatement on Saturday.
Musk reinstated former US President Donald Trump’s account last November after conducting a poll with 51.8% voting in favour of the reinstatement.
Wife of Kanye West, Bianca Censori, was spotted holding hands with the rapper’s eldest daughter at his 46th birthday bash in Los Angeles over the weekend.
In the photos of the bash which happened Saturday night, June 10, Censori and North were all smiles, holding hands as they made their way into the private party together.
North – whom West shares with ex-wife Kim Kardashian – wore a gray sweater with shorts and black boots. The 9-year-old also had visible red markings on her face while Censori wore a black leather trench coat with matching heeled boots.
Adidas has announced that it will sell some of the sneakers and other products it produced with rapper Kanye West alongside donate a portion of its earnings to charity.
The German sportswear giant cut ties with the celebrity, now known as Ye, last year after he made anti-Semitic comments.
The decision has cost the firm millions in sales and has it facing its first annual loss in more than three decades.
Shoes from the collaboration remain wildly popular in the resale market.
Chief executive Bjoern Gulden said the company was still working out how the sales would happen.
“What we are trying to do now over time is to sell some of this merchandise… burning the goods would not be a solution,” he said at the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
Adidas has about 1.2bn euros (£1bn; $1.3bn) worth of Yeezy shoes sitting in storage.
Mr Gulden said the firm had decided to sell some of the merchandise, instead of donating it, because it did not want to see the products reach the market indirectly.
Last week, Adidas said that if it decided not to “repurpose” its remaining unsold Yeezy stock, it would hurt its operating profit by €500m this year.
A sale could help reduce some of those losses. Ye will also be entitled to some of the money, under the terms of the partnership.
Shares in Adidas were up 2% following the meeting.
The company is being sued by investors who claimAdidas knew about Kanye West’s problematic behaviour years before it ended their partnership.
Investors allege Adidas failed to limit financial losses and take precautionary measures to minimise their exposure.
Mr Gulden defended Adidas’ years-long collaboration with the designer and musician, saying that “as difficult as he was, he is perhaps the most creative mind in our industry”.
The company said it had concluded an internal investigation into reports that the artist had created a “toxic” environment.
It said the review had not substantiated all allegations of misconduct but that “erratic” behaviour had created challenges. It said that the firm was putting in place changes to prevent such problems from happening in the future.
Related article Adidas ends massive deal with Kanye West after antisemitism controversy.
Renowned multi-industry creative and African-American businessman, Kanye West, experienced a rapid rebound in his net worth, surging back to $400 million within 20 days after a temporary dip of $2 million, attributed to the revaluation of his private assets.
Forbes, a US business magazine that monitors the fortunes of ultra-high net worth individuals, revealed that Kanye West’s net worth has surged by $2 million within a month, from $398 million on March 23 to $400 million at the time of writing this report.
The recent bump in Kanye West’s wealth follows a dip of $2 million just twenty days ago, which compounded the $1.6 billion wealth loss he experienced last year when Adidas cut ties with his brand, Yeezy due to a series of anti-Semitic remarks he made in October 2022, sparking widespread outrage and leading to the deactivation of his social media accounts.
Following his suspension from Instagram and Twitter, West announced his intention to acquire the social networking platform Parler from its parent company, Parlement Technologies Inc, asserting that platforms such as Instagram and Twitter unduly restrict users’ free speech. He explained that Parler, a conservative social networking platform, is a refuge for individuals who, like him, have been penalized by larger platforms, offering a space for those who have been oppressed by the “thought police” to express their opinions freely.
Despite facing recent setbacks, including a $2 million net worth decline just 20 days ago, Kanye West continues to be one of the wealthiest Black individuals not only in America but globally.
With a net worth of $400 million, which includes his real estate holdings, cash, a music catalog, and a five-percent stake in Skims, the shapewear company founded by his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, West ranks as the 2,649th richest person in the world, according to Forbes.
Following the recent revaluation of his personal assets, African-American billionaire and leading musician Kanye West’s net worth has dropped by $2 million in the past 24 hours, bringing his total net worth below $400 million.
West, who is one of the world’s richest Black people thanks to his robust business empire spanning entertainment and the retail industry, has seen his net worth decline from $400 million to $398 million in the past 24 hours.
The $2-million drop in his fortune is the latest in a steady decline in his net worth over the last five months, which can be attributed to the termination of his lucrative multi-year contract with German multinational sportswear giant Adidas due to his antisemitic remarks that violated Adidas’ core values of diversity, inclusion, and equality.
The termination of his multi-year agreement to design the Yeezy sneaker line for Adidas caused his net worth to plummet from $2 billion to $400 million, leading to his exit from the exclusive billionaire club in what Forbes described as a “self-induced downfall” for the musician-turned-business-mogul.
Despite the drastic decline in his net worth from $2 billion to $398 million, West, now known as “Ye,” still boasts a higher net worth than both Emma Grede, the successful founder and CEO of Good American, and the immensely talented tennis icon Serena Williams, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players in history.
With no other retail partnerships to rely on, West’s net worth of $398 million, which consists of real estate, cash, a music catalog, and a five-percent stake in his ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company, Skims, makes him the 2,429th wealthiest person in the world.
Adidas has warned over the potential major impact on its profits of ending its partnership with rapper and fashion designer Kanye West last November.
The firm’s new boss said it could lose hundreds of millions of dollars this year if it decides not to sell its stock of Yeezy sneakers.
The sportswear giant cut ties with West, known as Ye, after he posted anti-Semitic comments on social media.
The announcement marks the company’s fourth profit warning since July.
“The numbers speak for themselves. We are currently not performing the way we should,” the company’s chief executive Bjørn Gulden, said in a statement.
Adidas said it was still deciding whether to scrap its remaining Yeezy stock and would take a €500m ($536m; £443m) hit to its profits if it is all written off.
On top of that the company expects a shake-up of the business to cost another €200m.
That could mean it is pushed to an operating loss this year totalling €700m, the company warned.
Adidas is expected to return to profit in 2024, it added.
At the same time the company revealed that its operating profit for last year had fallen to €669m, two thirds lower than in 2021.
US-traded shares in Adidas fell by almost 9% after the announcement.
In October, the company announced that it was ending the highly profitable partnership with West after he caused an outcry over his anti-Semitic comments.
While the decision to end its partnership with Yeezy had a major negative impact on Adidas, it has also faced other challenges over the last year.
Mr Gulden joined Adidas at the start of this year from rival Puma after his predecessor was ousted in the wake of a series of profit warnings.
In March, the company announced that it would close its shops in Russia and suspend its online store there as it joined a raft of global brands that pulled out of the country in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
The firm’s business in China was also impacted by Beijing’s strict zero Covid measures that saw major cities across the country put into lockdown.
Kanye West’s $2.2 million (£1.8 million) LA property has deteriorated.
Aerial shots of the property reveal walls have started to fall down and fences surrounding the multi-million dollar home have also collapsed.
The 45-year-old rapper not only lived on the site but is also said to have used it as a headquarters for both Sunday Service and Donda Academy.
Rubbish and abandoned items are strewn around Ye’s former home and what appears to be a 4×4 tank and barbeque smoker can also be made out in photographs.
The Power rapper left the property in 2020 and it’s seemingly remained empty since.
The $60m Calabasas mansion Ye’s ex Kim lives in with their four children isn’t too far away, and after their split, the Grammy-winner is said to have lived in the property with his then-girlfriend Irina Shayk, according to MailOnline.
The Power rapper left the property in 2020 and it’s seemingly remained empty since.
The property is eight miles from the home he used to share with ex Kim Kardashian
The outlet also reports that Ye scooped up the home, which sits on 1.25 acres, in 2018.
The inside of the residence is said to feature ‘stunning floor-to-ceiling stacked-stone fireplace, beautiful inlaid hardwood floors, huge vaulted open-beam ceilings, and spacious ground-floor master suite with a walk-in closet and spa-style bath’.
There are also ‘two detached guest units, [a] four car garage, [a] huge metal workshop or barn, corral, and plenty of space for pool or vineyard’.
In response to the musician’s anti-Semitic remarks, pressure has increased to deny him an entry visa if he attempts to travel to Australia.
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, the famous rapper, may not be granted a visa to enter Australia because of his anti-Semitic remarks, according to a minister in the Australian government.
In response to media reports that the American celebrity planned to visit the family of his new Australian partner Bianca Censori in Melbourne the following week, Australia’s Education Minister Jason Clare issued a statement on Wednesday.
Clare said he was unaware of Ye’s visa application but noted that anti-Semitic individuals have previously been denied entry to Australia.
“I don’t know if he’s applied for a visa yet but google it and you’ll see that it seems like he’s a pretty big fan of a person who killed six million Jewish people last century,” Clare told the Today show on Australia’s Nine Network television.
“People like that who’ve applied for visas to get into Australia in the past have been rejected. I expect that if he does apply, he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions they did.”
A spokesperson for Ye did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Seven Network News reported that Ye and Censori intend to visit her family who live in the northeast Melbourne suburb of Ivanhoe next week.
Last month, Ye praised Hitler in an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Twitter suspended Ye after he tweeted a picture of a swastika merged with the Star of David. Ye has also been dropped by major corporate partners, including Adidas, over his comments.
Australia’s Migration Act sets security and character requirements for non-citizens to enter the country. Any decision on whether Ye gets an Australian visa would be made by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, whose office said he could not comment on individual cases due to privacy reasons.
Australia has previously refused or revoked visas to far-right figures for failing the “good character” test. British conspiracy theorist David Icke had his visa revoked in 2019, just before starting a speaking tour.
Gavin McInnes, founder of the Proud Boys, a male-only group who identify as “Western Chauvinists”, was denied a visa in 2018 after a public campaign that included a petition with 81,000 signatories, according to local media.
Australia’s opposition leader Peter Dutton said if he were in government, he would be inclined to bar Ye on character grounds.
“My inclination would be not to allow him in,” Dutton told Melbourne’s Radio 3AW on Tuesday.
“His conduct and his behaviour is appalling, and he’s not a person of good character,” Dutton said.
The Liberal Party’s David Coleman said on Wednesday the decision to deny Ye a visa should be “easy”.
No way Kanye West passes the character provisions of the Migration Act. Easy decision for @andrewjgiles if he applies for a visa.
Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, met government officials on Tuesday to argue for Ye’s entry ban.
“We had a sympathetic hearing,” Wertheim said on Sky News.
American rapper Kanye West is making headlines after he stepped out with a BBL lady with blondehair.
Recall that it was reported that the rapper Kanye West had gone missing. After two weeks of ghosting everyone, he was later seen in a black car with a mysterious lady in the front seat.
After he stepped out with the woman yesterday, some paparazzi have alleged that the two might be dating. There have been reports from Media Takeouts that the alleged girlfriend of Kanye West may be a pretty prominent fashion designer.
According to multiple online reports, the woman seen out with Kanye is believed to be Australian swimwear designer Bianca Elouise Anstiss; although not confirmed.
The young lady who appeared in Forbes’s top 30 list is reported to be the owner of her own label Myra Swim.
It has been alleged that Bianca has “Jewish heritage.” Many people have expressed shock because Kanye West has been in trouble recently for making very inflammatory comments about the Holocaust, which many are calling antisemitic.
Bianca Has however been silent on her religion as rumors keep peddling and never mentioned her religious background in any public interviews.
Ghanaian rapper, Kwaw Kese, has reacted to Kanye West’s absence at the Black Star festival held at the Independence Square in Accra.
Earlier, rumors were rife that the American rapper had touched down into the country for the concert and this triggered a lot of excitement on social media.
But the concert took place and fans who were looking forward to seeing Kanye West had their expectations squashed.
There were performances from the likes of T-Pain, Jeremih, Erykah Badu, Chance the rapper, Vic Mensa but Kanye wasn’t seen on stage.
Kanye took 2 puffs of Acapulco and got knocked out. He just woke up 😂😂
The concert which took place on January 6, 2023, ended at about 6am the following morning, yet there were no traces of the American rapper at the event.
This triggered massive reactions from netizens to an extent, the blogger who informed the public about Kanye’s purported appearance was heavily lambasted online.
Reacting to this, Kwaw Kese who made a jest out of the issue took to Twitter and wrote;
“Kanye took 2 puffs of Acapulco and got knocked out. He just woke up. Y’all wanted Ye for a free show.”
Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West looked like the spitting image of her father Kanye West in a TikTok video uploaded Thursday night – after the rapper said he didn’t want his kids on the social media platform.
The little girl, nine, transformed into the rapper, 45, by using her special effects makeup skills, which Kim recently revealed she’s been taking classes for.
Kim, 42, joined in on the fun as she stood next to North, who contoured her face and drew on facial hair to perfectly emulate her dad.
Seeing double! Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West looked like the spitting image of her father Kanye West in a TikTok video uploaded Thursday night
New skill: The little girl, nine, transformed into the rapper, 45, by using her newfound special effects makeup skills, which Kim recently revealed she’s been taking classes for
North tucked her braided hair into a black beanie and drew on a fake hairline for a more realistic effect.
She completed the epic transformation by throwing on a black hooded sweatshirt.
Kim towered over her eldest child while rocking a pair of mirrored sunglasses from Kanye’s Yeezy line and pulled her newly-dyed brunette hair into a sleek bun.
The KUWTK alum highlighted her toned figure in a skintight SKIMS bodysuit paired with black leather pants.
Father and daughter: North is seen with her father Kanye courtside at her basketball game in October
Mom, too! Kim, 42, joined in on the fun as she stood next to North, who contoured her face and drew on facial hair to perfectly emulate her dad
As another nod to Kanye, a remix of the hitmaker’s 2013 track Bound 2 played over the video.
Kim famously starred as Kanye’s video vixen in the song’s music video.
In the now infamous video, Kim appeared fully nude while sitting backwards on a motorcycle driven by Kanye in front of a green screen.
All out: North tucked her braided hair into a black beanie and drew on a fake hairline for a more realistic effect. She completed the epic transformation by throwing on a black hooded sweatshirt
It comes after last January Kanyestated that he does not want any of his four children to have TikTok accounts without his permission.
The rapper made the comment during an interview with Jason Lee for an episode of Hollywood Unlocked, while noting that he is taking a more active role in his kid’s lives.
North had been the focus of attention for maintaining a TikTok account over the few months before.
Stylish mom: Kim towered over her eldest child while rocking a pair of mirrored sunglasses from Kanye’s Yeezy line and pulled her newly-dyed brunette hair into a sleek bun. The KUWTK alum highlighted her toned figure in a skintight SKIMS bodysuit paired with black leather pants
West had made his opinion on TikTok clear during an alleged incident at Kardashian’s home, where he had his ‘two female cousins’ speak to Kardashian’s ‘security’ on his behalf.
He recalled: ‘I said, “I need you to go and say these two things: Security ain’t going to be in between me and my children, and my children ain’t going to be on TikTok without my permission.”‘
The Stronger rapper then remarked that, although he was used to having his personal life become the center of attention, he was particularly sensitive about the public’s perception of his children.
Familiar tune: As another nod to Kanye, a remix of the hitmaker’s 2013 track Bound 2 played over the video
‘They can go on SNL and make jokes, they can make jokes in the media, they can plant stories, about whoever I am dating and whatever I want to do…I can tell you straight up, don’t play with my kids,’ he said.
‘It is going to be all legal, it is going to be all legal, baby. You are not going to gaslight me, thinking it is going to be calm like this,’ he said.
Kanye and Kim share four children together which they are currently co-parenting; North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, three, and Psalm, two.
Video vixen: Kim famously starred as Kanye’s video vixen in the song’s music video
North has been honing her special FX makeup skills in recent months.
She often showcases her work on TikTok and recently transformed herself into the Grinch ahead of the Christmas holiday.
During an appearance on Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP podcast, Kim gushed over her daughter’s newfound passion and revealed she has been taking classes to master the craft.
Awkward: In the now infamous video, Kim appeared fully nude while sitting backwards on a motorcycle driven by Kanye in front of a green screen
‘[North] loves special effects makeup, so she’ll be doing scars and faces and bullet wounds,’ she explained to the host.
‘She takes classes on it and that’s what she loves to do so she loves to show it.’
Kim said that making TikTok videos makes North ‘so happy.’
‘The way that she is so creative, the way that she loves to do TikTok and do these videos, and she’ll take my phone and do skincare stuff,’ she gushed.
Passion: North has been honing her special FX makeup skills in recent months
The Grinch: She often showcases her work on TikTok and recently transformed herself into the Grinch ahead of the Christmas holiday
Kim and her eldest child created their joint TikTok in November 2021 and currently boast over 12million followers.
And although Kanye disapproves of North having access to the social media app, the exes agreed on one rule: comments must be turned off on all posts.
The app is only allowed on Kim’s phone so the mother-of-four can monitor North’s usage.
It comes after budding makeup enthusiast North has previously showed off her artistic talent when she created a landscape painting in 2021.
The painting of snow-capped mountains overlooking a lake drew over a million ‘likes’, after becoming the subject of scrutiny.
Wow: It comes after budding makeup enthusiast North has previously showed off her artistic talent when she created a landscape painting in 2021
The controversy prompted Kim to share more evidence of her daughter’s artistic prowess in the days to follow.
‘My daughter and her best friend have been taking a serious oil painting class where their talents and creativity are being encouraged and nurtured,’ Kim wrote on her Instagram Stories.
The reality star had shared a photo of the painting to her Instagram stories earlier with the caption: ‘My little artist North’.
Almost immediately, some on Twitter were expressing their disbelief that the impressive painting was created by Kim and Kanye West’s eldest daughter.
Kim Kardashian and daughter North West dance together on TikTok
Following lots of debate about the validity of the painting – with many comments suggesting Kim’s child was not responsible for the painting – she added: ‘How dare you see children doing awesome things and then try to accuse them of NOT being awesome!?!?!’
‘Please stop embarrassing yourselves with the negativity and allow every child to be GREAT!!! NORTH WEST PAINTED THAT PERIOTDDDDDABCDEFGZFDT!!!!!!!’
Some online critics even questioned North’s signature in the corner of the painting, claiming it to be fake.
Others, however, declared the painting was definitely within the skill range of a seven-year-old.
Kim and Kanye’s union – which the influencer considers her one ‘real’ marriage despite walking down the aisle two times before – came to an end in 2021.
Divorced: Kim and Kanye’s union – which the influencer considers her one ‘real’ marriage despite walking the aisle two times prior – came to an end in 2021; the pair seen in 2019
Emotional: Though the pair have come to a custody agreement, Kim recently confessed that co-parenting with the rapper, 45, has been ‘really f***ing hard’
Kim filed for divorce that February after nearly seven years of marriage. The former couple share four children: North, nine, Saint, seven, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three.
It took over a year – and countless fiery Instagram rants from Kanye that aired out their custody battle and behind-the-scenes drama – for the pair to settle the split.
TMZ revealed that Kim will receive $200,000 in child support monthly. It was also agreed upon that Kim and Kanye will have joint custody and ‘equal access’ to their kids.
Though the pair have come to an agreement, Kim recently confessed that co-parenting with the rapper, 45, has been ‘really f***ing hard’ and that she’s done her best to shield their children from the drama.
Co-parents: The former couple share four children: North, nine, Saint, seven, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three
Unconfirmed reports say Kanye West is in Ghana as the American rapper readies for the Black Star Line Festival scheduled for January 6, 2023, at the Black Star Square.
A tweet from broadcaster Ebenezer Donkor on January 5, 2023, said the rapper, according to information available to him, would perform at the event.
“I’m gathering info that Kanye West will be the surprise act at the Black Star Line Festival in Ghana this weekend,” his tweet sighted by GhanaWeb read.
“Like Kanye is in Ghana already? This festival will be lit!” entertainment journalist Kwame Dadzie responded.
Many music lovers have since been asking if Kanye is in Ghana and will make an appearance at the free concert.
I'm gathering info that Kanye West will be the surprise act at the Black Star Line Festival in Ghana this weekend.
Meanwhile, nydjlive.com reports that American stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle has been seen having a good time in Ghana ahead of the concert.
In a short clip seen on YouTube, the actor is seen in the company of Michael Blackson, Jeremih, Vic Mensa, and Chance The Rapper as he reaches out to Sway Calloway during a party held at the Play Ghana Club.
The Black Star Line Festival is curated by Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa and will see performances from Chance himself, Erykah Badu, T Pain, Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, Asakaa Boys, M.anifest and fellow Chicago-born hip-hop artist Vic Mensa.
Kanye West has been suspended from Twitter and accused of “inciting violence” over offensive tweets – just two months after his last ban.
The US rapper, who now goes by the name Ye, posted a series of erratic tweets – one of which appeared to show a symbol combining a swastika and a Jewish star.
Twitter’s new boss Elon Musk was asked by one user to “fix Kanye”.
West had “violated our rule against incitement to violence”, Musk tweeted.
“Account will be suspended,” Musk wrote in a Twitter post.
Also on Thursday, during an interview with US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and with his face covered in a mask, West praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and ranted about sin, pornography and the devil.
West has for years caused controversy both on- and offline with anti-Semitic and racist remarks.
West was initially locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts after posting anti-Semitic messages in October. Both platforms removed West’s posts – which accused rapper Diddy of being controlled by Jewish people – saying the star had violated policies on hate speech.
These posts came in response to a backlash against his show at Paris Fashion Week, where he wore a t-shirt carrying the slogan “White Lives Matter”.
The Anti-Defamation League branded his phrase “hate speech” and attributed it to white supremacists, who began using it in 2015 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Adidas dropped Kanye West in October after he made anti-Semitic comments
His latest Twitter ban comes hours after the right-wing social media platform Parler – which styles itself as a “free speech” alternative to mainstream platforms – said West could no longer buy the firm.
In a statement, Parlement Technologies said: “The company has mutually agreed with Ye to terminate the intent of sale.”
The firm – which runs the much smaller platform, popular with conservatives and the far right – said the decision was made in mid-November.
“Parler will continue to pursue future opportunities for growth and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community,” the firm said in its statement.
Musk took control over Twitter in October and immediately embarked on a series of radical changes within the social media giant – including lifting the bans on controversial accounts.
He has clarified that he had no role in bringing West back on Twitter, saying the account was restored before he acquired the social media platform.
West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years ago and has publicly spoken about his challenges with his mental health.
However, medical experts and people who share West’s condition have warned that mental health problems do not go hand-in-hand with anti-Semitism.
Kanye Westhas been suspended from Twitter and accused of “inciting violence” over offensive tweets – just two months after his last ban.
The US rapper, who now goes by the name Ye, posted a series of erratic tweets – one of which appeared to show a symbol combining a swastika and a Jewish star.
Twitter’s new boss Elon Musk was asked by one user to “fix Kanye”.
West had “violated our rule against incitement to violence”, Musk tweeted.
“Account will be suspended,” Musk wrote in a Twitter post.
Also on Thursday, during an interview with US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and with his face covered in a mask, West praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and ranted about sin, pornography and the devil.
West has for years caused controversy both on- and offline with anti-Semitic and racist remarks.
West was initially locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts after posting anti-Semitic messages in October. Both platforms removed West’s posts – which accused rapper Diddy of being controlled by Jewish people – saying the star had violated policies on hate speech.
These posts came in response to a backlash against his show at Paris Fashion Week, where he wore a t-shirt carrying the slogan “White Lives Matter”.
The Anti-Defamation League branded his phrase “hate speech” and attributed it to white supremacists, who began using it in 2015 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Earlier this year, West was suspended from Instagram for 24 hours in March after using a racial slur in reference to comedian Trevor Noah.
In 2018, singer Will.i.am led a backlash against West after he claimed the enslavement of African Americans over centuries may have been a “choice” – remarks he later tried to clarify.
His latest Twitter ban comes hours after the right-wing social media platform Parler – which styles itself as a “free speech” alternative to mainstream platforms – said West could no longer buy the firm.
In a statement, Parlement Technologies said: “The company has mutually agreed with Ye to terminate the intent of sale.”
The firm – which runs the much smaller platform, popular with conservatives and the far right – said the decision was made in mid-November.
“Parler will continue to pursue future opportunities for growth and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community,” the firm said in its statement.
Musk took control over Twitter in October and immediately embarked on a series of radical changes within the social media giant – including lifting the bans on controversial accounts.
He has clarified that he had no role in bringing West back on Twitter, saying the account was restored before he acquired the social media platform.
West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years ago and has publicly spoken about his challenges with his mental health.
However, medical experts and people who share West’s condition have warned that mental health problems do not go hand-in-hand with anti-Semitism.
Nearly two years after Kim Kardashian filed for divorce, she and Kanye West have reached a settlement, agreeing on joint legal custody of their four kids, according to the court document obtained by E! News on Nov. 29.
While neither will pay spousal support, Kanye will shell out $200,000 per month in child support to the reality star.
“Everything Kim did here was to benefit her kids,” a source told E! News after the settlement was filed. “She wants to be a good co-parent.”
Though the document still needs to be signed by a judge to be official, the agreement is 21 months in the making and marks a new chapter in their relationship—which has shifted to co-parenting since their split.
“He’s the father of my kids, I’ll always be protective,” she said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in March. “I always want my kids to see the best of the best, so I just try to—as hard as it can be sometimes—I do try to ignore it and do whatever’s best for the kids. Take the high road.”
Kim, 42, and Kanye, 45, first crossed paths in the 2000s, though their friendship turned romantic in 2012. They welcomed their first child, North, in 2013 before tying the knot in Italy in 2014. The fashion-forward couple went on to welcome kids Saint, 7, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3.
Keep reading to look back at Kimye’s most major moments over the years.
Jose Perez/Splash News
2010: Just Friends
As was documented on Kourtney & Kim Take New York, Kanye swung by the sisters’ future DASH store in NYC. While Kim and Kanye were just friends at the time, October 2010 to be exact, there was definitely chemistry between the two.
Eric Ryan/Getty Images
2012: Clearly Close
Although Kim and Kanye weren’t official by the time of his March 2012 Paris Fashion Week Show, she sat front row at the event, even wearing many of his pieces.
Gotcha Images / Splash News
2012: Cheerio!
More than friends! During a day date in London, Kim and Kanye stopped by the Hakkasan restaurant in May 2012.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
2012: Awards Show Date
At the 2012 BET Awards, Kanye took a moment to pose for a picture with his girlfriend Kim.
Instagram
2012: South of the Border
According to Kim, this throwback photo is from a trip they took to Mexico before they had any children.
Headlinephoto / Splash News
2012: Courtside Cuties
Kim and Kanye sat courtside at the LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets NBA game in December 2012.
Splash News
2013: Parents-to-Be
In April 2013, the expectant couple did a little shopping in NYC after Kim finalized her divorce from ex Kris Humphries.
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images
2013: Kim’s First Met Gala
In 2013, pregnant Kim joined Kanye for Fashion’s Biggest Night: The Met Gala!
Instagram
2013: Kimye’s Firstborn
Kim and Kanye welcomed their first child together, North West, in June 2013.
Twitter
2013: Rock Solid
This photo was taken just moments after Kanye proposed to Kim in October 2013 in San Francisco. They were surrounded by their family and friends!
Denise Truscello/WireImage
2013: Birthday Babe
The rapper beamed at his new fiancée as they celebrated her 33rd birthday at Tao Las Vegas in October 2013!
Splash News
2014: Vogue Cover Stars
Kim and Kanye made their way to the Waverly Inn to celebrate their Vogue cover with Anna Wintour in 2014.
Splash News
2014: Sweet Treat
The engaged twosome were spotted grabbing ice cream in Paris mere days before their nuptials.
2014: They Do!
As fans may recall, on May 24, 2014, the two said “I Do” in a lavish wedding at the historic Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy.
2014: The Wests
North West dressed to the nines for her parents’ nuptials in 2014.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
2014: Look of Love
The newlyweds take in each other as they hit a red carpet in November 2014.
AKM-GSI
2015: Super Bowl Sweethearts
The married duo turned Super Bowl XLIX into a date night in February 2015!
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
2015: PDA
Kimye flaunt some PDA while on the red carpet at the 57th Annual Grammys.
Splash News
2015: Romance Abroad
The happy couple shares a sweet moment while out and about in Armenia in April 2015.
AKM-GSI
2015: Baby on Board
Pregnant with baby No. 2, Kim and Kanye went to dinner at Nobu in Malibu in July 2015.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
2015: Power Couple
Kim and Kanye hit the red carpet at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. That night, Kanye accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and declared he would run for president.
Instagram
2015: Baby No. 2
In December 2015, the Wests welcomed another little one into their brood, a baby named Saint!
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
2016: Supportive Spouse
Kim supported her husband at his Yeezy season 4 fashion show in 2016.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
2016: A Memorable Night
A year after his headline-making speech, Kanye returned to the 2016 MTV VMAs with his wife by his side.
Eli Linnetz
2017: Casual Christmas Card
The West family stole the spotlight for day 21 of the Kardashian Christmas card.
Kim Kardashian/Instagram
2018: Another Baby Girl!
The couple welcomed baby Chicago via a surrogate back in January 2018.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
2018: Return to Paris
Nearly two years after her robbery, Kim returned to Paris alongside the rapper to support Virgil Abloh‘s debut collection for Louis Vuitton.
Garguibo / SplashNews.com
2018: Miami Mood
Kim and Kanye attended 2 Chainz and Kesha Ward‘s wedding in Miami in August 2018.
Instagram / Kim Kardashian
2019: The Youngest West
Kim and Kanye turned to surrogacy once more to have their fourth child, a baby boy named Psalm. They welcomed the youngest West into the world in May 2019.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
2019: Fashion’s Biggest Night
Kim pulled out all of the stops at the 2019 Met Gala with her custom Thierry Mugler design. Kanye looked just as dapper with his all-black ‘fit.
Kimye have finally agreed to the terms of their divorce — here’s who’s getting what
In 2005, Kanye West penned the immortal words: “If you ain’t no punk holla ‘We want prenup, We want prenup!’ It’s something that you need to have, ‘cause when she leave yo’ ass she gone leave with half.”
Little did he know, less than ten years later he would marry a woman that would come to dwarf his wealth by the time the two divorced.
But West stuck to his lyrics, and so did his bride Kim Kardashian, which means now in 2022 the pair are both divorcing with prenuptial agreements in place.
What does this mean for the Kimye clan though, or their extensive property empire? Here’s a breakdown of everything we know, from who’s getting the Malibu beach house to who gets the CD rack (just kidding, Kim would never own something so cheugy).
The £200m property portfolio
Kim and Kanye own many of their properties separately, which, in tandem with the prenup, means things being separated is fairly cut and dry. Between them, the pair own 19 separate properties across a range of locations, including mansions, ranches, offices and empty plots of land in Calabasas.
The only notable property to change hands in the divorce settlement is the $4.5 million Calabasas house, owned by West, which directly neighbours Kardashian’s main residence, her $60 million Hidden Hills compound. The rapper acquired the 3,650 square foot, five bedroom home for himself amidst the couple’s separation period, during which he was spending the majority of his time at his ranch in Wyoming, but wanted to feel closer to the kids.
The property will now be signed over to Kardashian, who is reportedly likely to tear it down and use the land to expand her acreage, as it is already in need of extensive renovations.
But don’t worry, West still has plenty of places to live. As per the settlement agreement, he will keep his $57.3 million Malibu beach house that’s part mansion, part sculpture (how very Ye), his two ranches in Wyoming, a flat in Belgium, his childhouse house that he bought daughter Chicago, 300 spare acres in Calabasas and finally, his own Hidden Hills mansion, which is down the street from Kardashian.
According to court documents Kim K will be keeping her Hidden Hills compound, some nearby plots of land in residential areas, and her homes in Malibu and Idaho.
Kardashian and West agreed to completely split custody of their four children, North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three. With joint legal and physical custody, Kardashian and West have equal access to their kids at all times but sources have told TMZ that they will reside with Kim for the majority of the time.
West will pay Kardashian $200,000 a month in child support, and all the rest of the children’s costs will be split evenly: each parent pays half the cost of their kids’ education, and half the cost of their private security. Kim and Kanye have also agreed to enter mediation should they ever have any disagreements that revolve around care of their children, which is useful considering the two have been rumoured to be on bad terms in recent months, communicating exclusively through their assistants.
he pair both waived rights to spousal support — financial support paid from one spouse to another — due to the conditions of their prenup (but also on account of them being billionaires, so they’re probably alright to get their own groceries for now).
And everything else?
The finer details of Kim and Kanye’s division of assets are yet to be revealed, but according to the Los Angeles Times the settlement does include their various personal belongings, such as furniture, vehicles, art, clothing, antiques, handbags and furs. That’s right, furs are specifically mentioned.
Given that Kanye owns not one but eight Sherps (all-terrain vehicles built in Ukraine, designed to plough through Siberian landscapes) — and that’s just part of his car collection — you can assume the division of assets will be almost as pricey as the parting of the property portfolio. Heck, imagine what Kim K’s bag and shoe collection is worth.
And it may surprise you, but the Kardashians are actually very big on art — especially modern pop art. Kris, Kendall and Kylie all have large neon Tracey Emin artworks in their houses, and when Khloe didn’t recognise a Jeff Koons balloon dog on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians once, Kris Jenner famously told her: “You need to go to, like, an art class.” So between Kim and the even more artistic Kanye, there could be untold wealth in that art collection, which is now set to be halved.
However, given that the former couple have been in the process of divorcing for nearly two years, and separated for even longer, the assets are likely pretty split already. So yes, when Kim left, she left with half, but with her own private net worth eclipsing that of her ex-husband, we can be fairly certain she isn’t a gold digger.
In a divorce settlement, Kanye West was ordered to pay Kim Kardashian$200,000 (£167,000) per month in child support.
Their four children will be shared between the former rapper and reality TV star.
After eight years with West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, Kardashian filed for divorce in 2021.
It comes after several companies severed ties with Ye due to controversies such as antisemitic remarks.
In March, both parties were declared legally single, with Kardashian also dropping the “West” from her surname.
In court documents filed on Tuesday, issues concerning the division of property and custody of their children were resolved.
The two parties should consult with each other on majordecisions about their children’s welfare, the documents state.
Expenses for the children’s security, school and college will be shared.
In addition, Ye is expected to pay $200,000 a month in child support – which the New York Post reported is because the children will spend the majority of their time with Kardashian.
The couple have four children: North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3.
In several statements submitted earlier, Kardashian, 42, had said she “very much” wanted the marriage to be ended, adding that this would “help Kanye to accept” that the relationship was over.
Ye, 45, had previously fought against the separation.
He has faced controversy in recent months, and has been dropped by several brands, including Adidas, Gap and Balenciaga.
The rapper provoked widespread criticism earlier this year after attending Paris Fashion Week wearing a t-shirt bearing a “White Lives Matter” slogan – a phrase often used by white supremacists.
He then claimed his critics were being paid by a secret cabal of Jewish people, a common trope of antisemitism.
Earlier this week, Ye announced his intention to run for US president in 2024.
He previously ran in 2020, but gained just 70,000 votes.
Vivica A. Fox is calling out Kanye West for including a clip of her in the rapper’s latest campaign video.
In the video, which Ye posted to Twitter earlier this week, Vivica can be heard criticizing West.
“Yo, Kanye. Eff you. And I mean that with everything inside of me,” she says in the video. “You got to cancel him. And I know we not trying to be in a cancel culture but we got to hit him in his pockets now. Because he, obviously, doesn’t care about the African-American culture.”
Fox took to Twitter on Friday to blast Ye for using her in the clip.
“Now dawling if you gonna use a clip featuring me it should be accurate! I was not happy with you 5 saying George Floyd wasn’t murdered, but THANKS 4 watching my @foxsoultv show #CocktailsWithQueens & know 2 Can Play that game,” Fox wrote.
Earlier this week, Kanye took to Twitter to share a video recapping his visit to Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate, confirming that he asked the former president to be his running mate in 2024.
Ye previously announced the news in a tweet on Tuesday, writing, “What you guys think [Trump’s] response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?”
“I think the thing that Trump was most perturbed about, me asking him to be my vice president,” Ye said in the video posted on Thursday. “I think that was like lower on the list of things that caught him off-guard.”
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said bigotry, hate, and anti-Semitism have no place in the United States.
The White House has condemned former President Donald Trump for meeting at his Florida estate with a prominent white supremacist and rapper Kanye West, who is embroiled in a storm over anti-Jewish remarks.
Trump acknowledged having dinner with West, who legally changed his name to Ye, on Tuesday night at Mar-a-Lago and said he brought along friends, one of whom was Nick Fuentes, an outspoken anti-Semite and racist.
“I didn’t know Nick Fuentes,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account late Friday.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates condemned Trump’s meeting with Fuentes.
“Bigotry, hate, and anti-Semitism have absolutely no place in America – including at Mar-a-Lago. Holocaust denial is repugnant and dangerous, and it must be forcefully condemned,” Bates told CNN on Saturday.
President Joe Biden, who is spending the holiday weekend in Nantucket, dodged a question about Trump’s dinner by saying: “You don’t wanna hear what I think.”
Fuentes is a Holocaust denier whose YouTube channel was permanently suspended in early 2020 for violating the platform’s hate speech policy.
Trump announced his plans in mid-November to seek reelection in 2024, and his embrace of a white nationalist unsettled some of his onetime administration officials.
David Friedman, who was Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, blasted the dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
“Even a social visit from an anti-Semite like Kanye West and human scum like Nick Fuentes is unacceptable,” Friedman said in one of several tweets.
“Anti-Semites deserve no quarter among American leaders, right or left,” he said.
Axios, a news website, cited what it said was a source familiar with the dinner as saying Trump “seemed very taken” with Fuentes, even though he didn’t seem to know anything about his background.
Ye has lost major brand partnerships with the German sportswear company Adidas and US retailer Gap over recent anti-Jewish statements and associations with hardliners.
The Donald Trump team has expressed displeasure over Kanye West’s recent comment about Mr Trump.
The former president faced additional backlash this week after he met with Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, a far-right conspiracy theorist who’ known for his white supremacist ideology. The three dined together Tuesday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida; however, Trump insisted he had no idea who Fuentes was prior to the dinner.
“This past week, Kanye West called me to have dinner at Mar-a-Lago,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about. We had dinner on Tuesday evening with many members present on the back patio. The dinner was quick and uneventful. They then left for the airport.”
Three anonymous sources told NBC News that Trump was not familiar with Fuentes before Tuesday’s get-together. Two of those insiders were described as Trump advisers, and the third was said to be a person who was “familiar with the dinner conversation,” but not involved in Trump’s campaign.
“This is a fucking nightmare,” a Trump adviser said, suggesting the dinner could potentially harm his 2024 presidential bid. “If people are looking at [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis to run against Trump, here’s another reason why.”
The sources, however, claimed that Trump’s aforementioned statement wasn’t completely true. Though the ex-president insisted he didn’t know the three people who accompanied Kanye to the dinner, the insiders said one of those “friends” was Karen Giorno—a political strategist who served as the Trump campaign’s Florida director in 2016. The sources said Trump knew Giorno by “name and sight.”
Kanye took to Twitter on Thursday to share details about the Mar-a-Lago dinner. He claimed Trump was “really impressed with Fuentes.
“… And Nick Fuentes, unlike so many of the lawyers, and so many of the people that he was left with on his 2020 campaign, he’s actually a loyalist,” Ye said in the video, titled Mar-a-Lago debrief.
Kanye also claimed he had asked Trump to be his 2024 running mate—a request that allegedly caused the former president to lose his temper.
“When Trump started basically screaming at me at the table telling me I was gonna lose,” Ye said in the video. “I mean, has that ever worked for anyone in history? I’m like, ‘Woah woah, hold on, hold on, Trump. You’re talking to Ye.’”
During a meeting with Trump in Mar-a-Lago this week, Kanye West revealed that the former US president allegedly insulted his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and turned down his desire to run alongside him in the 2024 election.
The artist and fashion designer disclosed he met with Trump on Wednesday to talk about a potential merger in a two-minute campaign advertisement released to Twitter on Friday morning, November 25.
Ye gave his own description of the conversation in the brief video, claiming that the previous president heard him express his desire to become president.
Kanye claims that he questioned Trump after the former US president warned him that he would lose if he ran for office.
‘The thing that Trump was most perturbed about [is] me asking him to be my vice president,’ Kanye said the clip posted on his recently-unlocked Twitter account on Thanksgiving night.
He continued: ‘I think that was, like, lower on the list of things that caught him off guard.
‘It was the fact that I walked in with intelligence.’
He charged that the former president had distanced himself from other public personalities like Fuentes because of their opinions while dismissing key members of his cabinet, including top advisers Karen Giorno and Steve Bannon.
West would go on to praise Fuentes as a Trump “loyalist,” praising his support for the Capitol takeover by supporters of the then-outgoing president on January 6, 2021.
‘Nick Fuentes, unlike so many of the lawyers and some of the people [Trump] was left with on his 2020 campaign, he’s actually a loyalist,’ West said in the video, which featured a caption with the hashtag #YE24.
‘When all the lawyers said, “forget it, Trump’s done,” there were loyalists running up in the White House, right?’ West continued.
Ye proceeded to chide the Trump for not doing anything to help the hundreds of Americans being prosecuted for their part in the January 6 insurrection attempt
‘Why, when you had the chance, did you not free the January 6ers?’ West asked incredulously.
The rapper then offered advice to Trump, telling him to ‘go and get these people that the media tried to cancel’ .
West said he did not become offended until Trump insulted Kim Kardashian to his face, though the insult itself is censored in the footage.
Trump allegedly told West, ‘you can tell her I said that.’
The rapper said that at that point, he told Trump, ‘That’s the mother of my children.’
‘Trump started basically screaming at the table telling me I was gonna lose,’ West recalled, adding, I mean, has that ever worked for anyone in history?’
‘I’m like, “Wait, hold on Trump – you’re talking to Ye.”‘
Despite several scandals surrounding his recent behaviour, rapper Kanye Westhas stated his intention to run for President of the United States in 2024.
The actor, who has legally changed his name to Ye, shared a video of his campaign logo with the caption Ye 24 on social media.
He also claimed to have approached Donald Trump about becoming his running mate.
West previously ran for president in 2020, but his campaign was a flop, garnering only 70,000 votes.
His latest claims were made in a video posted after West was spotted at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago golf club earlier this week, accompanied by prominent white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
West said his request for a running mate left the former president, who recently launched his own re-election campaign, “most perturbed”.
In a video titled Mar-A-Lago Debrief, West claimed: “Trump started basically screaming at me at the table, telling me I’m going to lose. Has that ever worked for anyone in history?”
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP Image caption, West previously appeared to be on good terms with Trump
He provoked a storm of criticism after attending Paris Fashion Week in a T-shirt bearing the slogan “White Lives Matter” – a phrase adopted by white supremacists, who began using it in 2015 as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
West then claimed his critics were being paid by a secret cabal of Jewish people, a common trope of antisemitism.
As he continued to make antisemitic comments online and in television interviews, the 45-year-old was dropped by his talent agency, while fashion companies including Gap, Adidas and Balenciaga said they would no longer work with him.
The musician later commented that he had lost “two billion dollars in one day”.
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone magazine reported claims that West had used “porn, bullying and mind games” to create a “toxic environment” among Adidas employees working on his Yeezy brand shoes.
The company said on Thursday it had launched an independent investigation into the claims.
When West ran for president in 2020, he announced his campaign too late to appear on the ballot in at least six states.
He held only one rally, in which he broke down in tears as he discussed abortion, and funded two television adverts. In the end, he was only listed as a candidate in 12 states.
For his 2024 bid, the rapper suggested he had enlisted alt-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos as his campaign manager.
A former editor at the right wing publication Breitbart, Mr Yiannopoulos was largely shunned by mainstream conservatives after a video emerged in 2017 of him appearing to condone paedophilia. He said the comments were “gallows humour” and stated his “disgust” at the sexual abuse of minors.
Most recently, Mr Yiannopolous worked as an intern for Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Rapper Kanye Westhas declared his intention to contest in the 2024 US presidential race, despite facing several scandals over his recent behaviour.
The star, who has legally changed his name to Ye, posted a video of his campaign logo to social media, alongside the caption Ye 24.
He also claimed to have asked Donald Trump to be his running mate.
West previously ran for president in 2020, but that campaign flopped, attracting a meagre 70,000 votes.
His latest claims came in a video posted after West was spotted at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago golf club earlier this week, accompanied by Nick Fuentes, a prominent white nationalist.
West said his request for a running mate left the former president, who recently launched his own re-election campaign, “most perturbed”.
In a video titled Mar-A-Lago Debrief, West claimed: “Trump started basically screaming at me at the table, telling me I’m going to lose. Has that ever worked for anyone in history?”
West previously appeared to be on good terms with Trump
As he continued to make anti-Semitic comments online and in television interviews, the 45-year-old was dropped by his talent agency, while fashion companies including Gap, Adidas and Balenciaga said they would no longer work with him.
The musician later commented that he had lost “2 billion dollars in one day”.
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone magazine reported claims that West had used “porn, bullying and mind games” to create a “toxic environment” among Adidas employees working on his Yeezy brand shoes.
The company said on Thursday it had launched an independent investigation into the claims.
When West ran for president in 2020, he announced his campaign too late to appear on the ballot in at least six states.
He held only one rally, in which he broke down in tears as he discussed abortion, and funded two television adverts. In the end, he was only listed as a candidate in 12 states.
For his 2024 bid, the rapper suggested he had enlisted alt-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos as his campaign manager.
A former editor at the right wing publication Breitbart, Yiannopoulos was largely shunned by mainstream conservatives after a video emerged in 2017 of him appearing to condone paedophilia. He said the comments were “gallows humour” and stated his “disgust” at the sexual abuse of minors.
Most recently, Yiannopolous worked as an intern for Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
After sparking outrage in recent weeks – with anti-Semitic comments, “White Lives Matter” T-shirt designs and more antics – Balenciaga, Adidas and Gap have all severed ties with the rapper.
Now, West has revealed his plans to get rid of the leftover products he once sold for hundreds of dollars.
In a video published by celebrity news site X17 on Youtube, the “Gold Digger” rapper gave a tour of his Los Angeles studio, where hundreds of garments could be seen alongside workers using sewing machines.
“I cut up 100 hoodies from Yeezy, from Balenciaga, from [Gap and Adidas] and everything we do is going to cost $20,” Ye, 45, said of the discarded inventory.
He added, “We need to make sure everyone receives the same level of cuts, the same level of food, same level of water, same level of education.”
“We’re engineering opportunities, we’re getting past the past, we’re focused on the future,” West continued, also showing off some new designs.
Fuller claimed she and DePhillipo broke up three weeks after…
Speaking of the future, the “Eazy” rapper also showed off his “Ye24” designs. He claimed the attire, promoting his run for president in 2024, was made from repurposed Balenciaga sweatpants and more. He further alleged on Twitter that he met with former President Donald Trump and offered him the vice presidential spot on his ticket.
Though the fashion brands denounced the rapper, West wore designs from his recent Balenciaga and Adidas collaboration in the video, including a white messenger bag ($1,290) and a sweatshirt ($1,150).
Enlarge ImageWest showed off sweatpants with “Ye24” emblazoned on it, announcing that he plans to run for president in 2024.Getty Images
On Tuesday night, Rolling Stone published an exposé in which former Yeezy employees alleged that West would often show executives porn videos, his own sex tapes and explicit images of then-wife Kim Kardashian.
Representatives from Gap, Adidas and Balenciaga did not immediately return Page Six Style’s request for comment.
ElonMusk admitted to his Twitter staff that the platform’s Content Moderation Council is all for show and that at the end of the day he decides what gets posted.
In a video obtained by TMZ, Musk is seen addressing his staff in a Saturday Zoom meeting, where he informs them he has the final say over content shared on Twitter. He added that any evidence to the contrary is “simply not true.”
“I wanna just be clear about, we are gonna do a content council, but it’s an advisory council,” Musk said. “They’re not the ones who actually—at the end of the day it will be me deciding it and any pretense to the contrary is simply not true. Because at the end of the day I can choose who’s on it, that content council, and I don’t need to listen to what they say.”
The leaked video comes as Kanye West and most notably Donald Trump have been welcomed back to Twitter in recent days. Ye had been suspended from the platform following an antisemitic tweet in October, and addressed his 32 million followers by tweeting “Shalom” on Sunday, a Hebrew greeting. As for the ex-POTUS, his account was banned in 2021 following the Capitol riot.
When confirming Trump’s suspension in a public statement, Twitter said it had “permanently” barred the account because of a risk of “further incitement of violence.” Trump has yet to take advantage of his reinstated account.
Despite those reinstatements, Musk said he wouldn’t allow Infowars founder Alex Jones to return to Twitter, after he was banned in 2018.
When asked whether Musk would allow Jones to return, he simply tweeted “no” and when asked why, said he had “no mercy” for those who “use the deaths of children.”
The artist formerly known as Kanye West says he asked ex-Apprentice host Donald Trump to be his “running mate in 2024” while wearing jeans in the bowels of Florida.
In a tweet shared Tuesday night, Ye briefly addressed what he says was his first time at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, jeans-wearing included.
“First time at Mar-a-Lago,” he wrote. “Rain and traffic. Can’t believe I kept President Trump waiting. And I had on jeans.”
From there, Ye set up a poll regarding his apparent 2024 plans, which have again become a point of discussion in recent days.
“What you guys think [Trump’s] response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?” Ye, who previously staged a campaign in 2020, asked.
Image via Ye on Twitter
Of course, Ye and Trump have been friendly in the past, including in a widely criticized White House visit in 2018 (see below) during which Ye wore a MAGA hat. More recently, however, Rolling Stone sources claimed Trump had said privately that Ye needed “help” amid then-ubiquitous coverage of a number of comments called out as anti-Semitic.
Adidas, Balenciaga, MRC, and others are among those who have cut ties with Ye in recent months.
“Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness,” an adidas rep said in a statement shared in October announcing the immediate termination of the partnership.
A new Rolling Stone report sheds more light on Kanye West’s alleged mistreatment of Yeezy employees, as numerous former staffers accuse Ye of repeatedly showing them “hardcore” pornography during work hours.
A variety of West’s actions are detailed in an open letter issued Tuesday by former high-ranking Yeezy staff members to the executive board members and CEO of Adidas.
Titled “The Truth About Yeezy: A Call to Action for Adidas Leadership,” the letter—per RS, which obtained a copy—demands that Adidas leadership address “the toxic and chaotic environment that Kanye West created” as well as a “very sick pattern of predacious behavior toward women” who worked under Ye.
According to numerous former staffers, Kanye frequently discussed porn and played explicit videos during staff meetings, displayed intimate photographs of ex-wife Kim Kardashian in job interviews, and even played his own sex tapes for Yeezy team members.
“He showed me the video of Francesca Le, a buff porn star with a strap-on dildo fucking another girl in the ass,” one past collaborator told Rolling Stone. “He’s like, ‘What do you think of it?’ Not laughing at all.”
“The oversexualized behavior has been consistent since the beginning,” said another former senior employee. “I don’t know that it ever went away.”
One employee said Kanye expressed to colleagues his desire to make a sneaker into which he could ejaculate. “Not a sex-toy sneaker but something that you were so into that you would wanna have an intimate relationship,” she explained. “He’d be, like, ‘literally fuck.’ He would be very clear on what that meant.”
While Kanye’s pornography displays were far beyond acceptable, ex-staffers maintain that Adidas’ senior executive team overlooked his unprofessionalism. Other alleged incidents and behaviors included Ye playing adult videos in meetings with the excuse that he needed them “in the background to keep [him] focused,” and having “exploded at women in the room with offensive remarks,” including calling an employee a “fat slut.”
“The most troubling behavior that should have been flagged by the executive team very early in the partnership is his manipulative and fear-based approach to leading the team, all while trying to assert dominance over Adidas employees in closed rooms,” the letter stated.
Though the group is requesting that the executive board members issue a public apology to the Yeezy team for enduring “Kanye’s terrorizing behavior,” the open letter focuses the blame on Adidas leadership.
“As much as we all would love to solely blame Kanye,” the letter says, “the undeniable truth is that the Adidas executive team and the board have been huge enablers.”
One prior staffer observed that there are “many forms of abuse, and this is the kind of abuse that’s so many kinds of abuse combined into one,” while another said West uses “tactic[s] to break a person down and establish their unwavering allegiance to him, testing and destroying people’s boundaries.”
A spokesperson for Adidas issued a statement to RS onthe company’s behalf, writing, “Adidas does not tolerate hate speech and offensive behavior and therefore has terminated the adidas Yeezy partnership. We have been and continue to be actively engaged in conversations with our employees about the events that lead [sic] to our decision to end the partnership. They have our full support and as we’re working through the details of the termination, we have been clear that we want to keep our employees’ talent and skills within the organization.”
Read the full report here. Also included is an incident where West is alleged in 2019 to have texted a then-employee about a nearly forgotten sneaker prototype, “We really need this shoe to be done because all I think about is Kim’s ass and this shoe.” This propelled the design “from no work to the number-one most important model,” only for it to never go to market.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West is back on Twitter.
“Testing Testing Seeing if my Twitter is unblocked,” Ye wrote in a tweet posted on Sunday.
West also tweeted the word “shalom,” a Hebrew greeting.
West was locked out of his Twitter account after posting the now infamous tweet in which he vowed to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” The tweet was considered a violation of the platform’s policies. Access to his Instagram account was also restricted prior to Twitter acting in a similar fashion.
Several brands cut ties with West in response to his series of anti-Semitic remarks. After Adidas terminated its Yeezy deal, Forbes reported Ye was “no longer a billionaire,” as his net worth plummeted to $400 million. While everyone seemed to be turning their back on Kanye, Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk has welcomed back the disgraced rapper to the platform with open arms, even responding to his tweet.
Musk didn’t receive the same response from Donald Trump after reinstating his Twitter account. According to Reuters, Trump seemed like he was going to remain on Truth Social, the social media platform he founded. “I don’t see any reason for it,” he said when asked about a possible return to Twitter during a panel at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting.
Only time will tell if Twitter can withstand Elon’s string of sweeping internal changes to the platform.
Kano Computing has joined the long list of companies that have cut ties with Kanye West.
The London-based startup reached new heights last year after announcing the roll out of Stem Player, an audio remixing device that allows users to customize recordings. The hardware launched in August 2021, in conjunction with the release of West’s Donda album. Several months later, Kano confirmed it had agreed to release West’s Donda 2 project exclusively on Stem Player—a move that propelled Kano’s upward trajectory.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Kano’s West deal proved to be quite successful. The company reportedly sold more than 100,000 units in the initial drop, with each device selling for $200. However, the startup’s association with the polarizing rapper has recently become a liability, as West continues to face widespread backlash over his anti-Semitic remarks. In addition to repeatedly espousing anti-Jewish tropes on social media, he also vowed to go “death con 3” on the Jewish community. The remarks not only hurt West’s public image, it also ruined his business relationships.
Kano CEO and co-founder Alex Klein told the Times he’s express his concerns directly with West, but was met with pushback.
“[West] tried to call me racist when I gently told him that attacking a whole race of people wasn’t good for him or Stem,” said Klein, who confirmed Kano has cut all business ties with West. “I asked Kanye not to take the path he’s on. We’ve told him that we’re unable to work together while he’s putting out racial conspiracy theories. There’s no deal in place.”
Klein also revealed Kano is now dealing with licensing lawsuits stemming from Donda and Donda 2 tracks. The Times points to the songs “Flowers” and “Life of the Party,” which reportedly include unauthorized samples. Kano addressed the complaints in a statement, claiming Kanye and Yeezy promised to only provide music with “all intellectual property rights, licenses and consents.”
Despite West’s controversies, Klein told the Times that West’s music will likely be associated with Stem Player “for some time.”
However, he and his team are now working on a “Ye-free” version of the device that will be open to all artists.
The CEO said he hopes the upcoming editions will help “deepen people’s understanding of what they love.”
50 Cent has a habit of getting under people’s skin. And he appears to be quite proud of that.
The hip-hop mogul took to Instagram on Thursday to share an old clip from 2007’s Screamfest show at Madison Square Garden. The event was co-headlined by T.I. and Ciara, and included appearances by some of music’s biggest stars. We’re talking everyone from Jay-Z and Kanye West to Diddy and Swizz Beatz to Wyclef Jean and Mopp Deep.
At one point during the show, T.I. and Hov invited Kanye to join them on stage. Just moments after diving into “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” the trio is seemingly caught off guard by the G-Unit boss, who jogs a few laps around the stage. A visibly annoyed Hov briefly interrupts the performance to tell 50 to scram.
“You can get down, n***a,” Hov says. “You can get down. It’s all good.”
“This a real special moment, ain’t it?” Tip adds.
50 was clearly amused by the incident then, and appears to be equally amused now. He joked about the moment on Instagram while addressing the constant downplaying of his achievements.
“This is why they say I only had one album. I made them so uncomfortable,” he wrote Thursday. “I’m working on being a better person. LOL.”
50 and Jay have had a rocky relationship for more than two decades. Fif recently took aim at Hov over their 2022 Super Bowl Half Time performance. Drink Champs host N.O.R.E. suggested Jay begrudgingly allowed 50’s participation, as Eminem allegedly threatened to pull out of the gig if 50 didn’t perform.
Fif respond to the report on social media, questioning why Em—who signed 50 to his Shady Records imprint—would have to put up a fight for 50’s involvement.
“Why would he have to say that should be the question?” 50 captioned a screenshot of the report. “N.O.R.E. Your big homie is running around trying to look like a gay painter. LOL.”
Last month (Oct. 3), the artist formerly known as Kanye West, sparked outrage across the country when he debuted his YZY Season 9’s new designs during Paris Fashion Week. The collection features a series of hoodies and shirts with the phrase “White Lives Matter” emblazoned on the back. The phrase itself is a hurtful message that was used in response to the “Black Lives Matter” slogan and civil rights movement which gained global attention in 2013. It has frequently been used by neo-Nazi leaders and Donald Trump supporters.
The YZY Season debut marked the beginning of a week-long rampage in which Ye spewed racist and antisemitic rhetoric on several high-profile platforms. His actions ultimately led to him losing major deals with Balenciaga, Adidas, and other companies.
Despite Ye’s cancellation, it was last reported that he was still hell-bent on selling his WLM shirts for $20. Luckily, two Black activists, Ramses Ja and Quinton Ward, are making it impossible for the disgraced rapper to sell his collection legally. Ja and Ward are the radio show hosts of Civic Cipher and, as of Oct. 28, they own the rights to the trademark.
“We hope that by having these conversations and talking about these issues, we’re empowering those allies to then take the conversations into their homes, into their circles, and talk with their racist uncles.”
Ja and Ward met nearly 15 years ago when they were building their solo careers in the radio and broadcast media industry. Civic Cipher came much later in their journey. The nationally syndicated radio show in Arizona came together in response to the summer 2020 protests against civil unrest in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by police in Minneapolis. “It is a show that was necessary in a hip-hop space because no such programming existed. People were protesting, crying, grieving, and dealing with their frustrations,” Ja explains. “In many cities, there was nothing in that space that really felt like they were giving back to the people who were creating the culture for them to profit from. In our own city, we realized that these protestors, organizers, very powerful women here in Phoenix, Arizona, had bullhorns and signs and brilliant messages, but they didn’t have the infrastructure to reach huge, massive crowds.”
The show hosts thoughtful and educational conversations on issues about race, police brutality, and politics. While their conversations speak directly to the Black experience, they also hold these spaces so non-Black people can listen and learn from the open dialogue. “We hope that by having these conversations and talking about these issues, we’re empowering those allies to then take the conversations into their homes, into their circles, and talk with their racist uncles. We give them the tools they need to diffuse this type of content throughout their circles as well,” Ja adds.
It’s their ability to tackle and discuss such heavy material that ultimately led them to owning the trademark. The “White Lives Matter” trademark was originally owned by another person around 2015. The previous owner, who prefers to remain anonymous, bought the trademark in hopes of keeping it out of the wrong hands during a period in which a spotlight was on Black Lives Matter and civil justice. Ward notes that the phrase had become irrelevant for the past few years, but Kanye’s collection brought newfound attention to it once again.
Image via Image via Civic Cipher/ Eric LaRokk
“Kanye West woke up something that was not in the forefront of anybody’s head right now. I can’t even remember [the last] time I saw or heard it,” Ward tells Complex. “So he jumped off of a cliff and threw that back into popular culture. There’s a lot going on in the world right now.”
With more eyes on the phrase than before, the anonymous owner, who happened to be a fan of Civic Cipher, contacted the hosts. “They explained to us they do not want to be the decider of something that does not affect them directly, in the way that it might affect Q and myself and our community,” Ja said of their conversation with the previous owner. After much consideration, Civic Cipher accepted the trademark as a gift. Both acknowledge the responsibility that comes with owning such a divisive phrase. “It’s a very, very heavy responsibility, but we’re here now, trying to navigate the best way to have something good come of this,” Ward says.
“We’re trying to navigate the best way to have something good come of this.”
A trademark refers to the legal ownership of a word, phrase, symbol or design that can be used to sell a product or service. In this case Civic Cipher LLC has the exclusive rights to the use of “White Lives Matter” on any article of clothing in the United States. This means, as Ja confirms, that “anyone else who sells clothing with that term on it printed anywhere, sewn, embroidered, anything like that, is infringing on our trademark and subject to a lawsuit from our lawyer.” And according to the hosts, the only way someone could use the phrase is if they bought it for $1 billion dollars. To date, Civic Cipher’s lawyers have sent at least 25 cease and desists to individuals that have attempted to sell products using the phrase, but they acknowledge that this can become expensive. Civic Cipher is accepting donations via their website to assist with legal fees, but ultimately, their intention of owning the phrase is to keep it out of the hands of individuals in power.
Image via Getty / Stringer / Jason Davis
The idea here was to keep a person from leaning into doing anything crazy, à la a Donald Trump-level figure. In recent weeks, we’ve seen a person with a lot of status maneuver in such a way to where this term has now become a conversation that people are having at dinner tables around the country,” Ja adds. “I feel like protecting it from an individual like that is realistic because those types of people don’t love lawsuits. If we want to nickel and dime people who are making 1,000 shirts here and there and selling them at Trump rallies, we can certainly do that. That’s a little bit more expensive, but not a fight that we are not willing to have.”
Complex spoke to Civic Cipher’s hosts about how they obtained the trademark, what they intend to do with it, and more, below:
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity purposes.
What was the process like of getting the trademark for “White Lives Matter?”
Ramses Ja: We weren’t a part of the original acquisition of the trademark. In fact, it was originally registered in 2015 or ‘16. Basically, what happened was, yes, an individual had this trademark. They came to us after another well-known individual [Ye] started making headlines with this phrase, putting it on clothes. They felt like, “Uh oh. Something needs to be done. This might come back on me because I hold this trademark, and I don’t believe [in its messaging].” We don’t know much about the person, but that’s by design. They want to remain anonymous and a private citizen.
They felt like holding it and keeping it in a box wasn’t something they could do privately anymore because of the caliber of the individual who was wearing those shirts. So it occurred to them one day when listening to our show, that maybe we were the right folks to have a conversation with. They live in Arizona, where we live, so it felt like the alignment of the moon and stars and so forth. They reached out, and we had our conversation. They explained to us that they do not want to be the decider of something that does not affect them directly, in the way that it might affect Q and myself and our community. So they wanted to gift this. They had certain conditions with this gift that we intend to respect.
We accepted the responsibility that was asked of us, and here we are.
They said, “You guys are in a better position to decide what the highest good would be from this moment and from this instrument, this document that grants you the rights to make and produce and sell this clothing with this mark, but more importantly prevents other people from doing it. You decide what’s best for your community. I have done my part. I do believe you two, based on the temperament that you have on your show and the caliber of men I believe you to be, to be the next step in this process.” After a lot of deliberation between Q and I, because you can imagine, that’s not something anybody really wants to be associated with, we got everything in line. We accepted the responsibility that was asked of us, and here we are.
What do you feel is your responsibility now that you own the trademark to this phrase? Quinton Ward: The term in and of itself, and all terms in this age that end with “lives matter,” are just contrary to Black Lives Matter. We started saying, as we were being killed on video with impunity, “Hey, everybody, we deserve to exist. Our lives matter.” Then a bunch of people said, “No, all lives matter. No, blue lives matter. No, white lives matter.” It was not just someone echoing their right to exist. It wasn’t like, “Well, yes, Black Lives Matter, and our lives matter, too.” It was just being contrarian to the idea that Black Lives Matter. All of those terms hurt. The way it was presented, a lot of people want to argue that the person in question had some deeper philosophical meaning to wearing that shirt, but all you have to do is look at who he was standing with to know exactly where he was coming from.
Us being hurt and triggered and traumatized by that is our right and is very, very normal, based upon the things that Black Lives Matter was born from. Trayvon Martin was stalked and murdered by someone, and that person has not spent a single day even being sorry. That person went on tour around the country, grossly autographing bags of Skittles because he was celebrated by some of the most disgusting people in the world that thought it was okay, that because this young Black kid had a hoodie on that he could be murdered and that someone could get off for it and be celebrated. George Floyd, we watched him die on video. Us saying Black Lives Matter was in response to that. It’s a very, very heavy responsibility, but we’re here now, trying to navigate the best way to have something good come of this besides some billionaire thinking we should wear this shirt for fashion, that triggers and brings back trauma for millions of people in this country.
Some people perceived Kanye’s shirts and the phrase to be an ironic message. Do you think it is possible for a term that holds so much weight to be used in fashion ironically or to send a larger message?
QW: I’ve never heard him suggest it. I just heard a bunch of people who are fans of his suggest it on his behalf. Him standing locked arms with Candace Owens made it very, very clear that he wasn’t trying to be ironic. He wasn’t even trying to be a unifier. She is a very, very divisive, extreme person in her thoughts and beliefs. She released a documentary trying to debunk everything that we know to be true about the murder of George Floyd, on his birthday. We’re not going to pretend that this is a decent person.
“He can’t be a genius who also pretends that he doesn’t know that these things hurt.”
To wear that shirt, locked arms with her, and to put it out in a way that he did, to stir up controversy, to be a troll, to get attention, whatever the reasons are, we’re either going to call him a genius and then call him evil, or we’re going to call him ignorant. He can’t be both. He can’t be a genius who also pretends that he doesn’t know that these things hurt. In my opinion, it would be very difficult to try to claim it and repurpose it for good because in the same way it’d be hard for us to come out here and try to do a white power shirt and try to reclaim that for us. Black power and white power are not just antonyms. They have no similarities except for the word power. One of those is a uniter and an uplifter and a reaffirmer, and one of those is an oppressor and placing people beneath.
RJ: Kanye West specifically, once upon a time, had a shirt where he used the Confederate flag in one of his fashion things. People were asking him about it. Kanye is not from the South. He’s from Chicago. People were asking him, “Yo, what’s this about?” He says he’s reclaiming it. I think that one of the things that we all have to consider is, if you’re doing something, it needs to create the most good. To think of things almost like business decisions, because business decisions are easy, they tend to make themselves. If most people would be hurt or offended by something, it doesn’t make sense to offend most people and try to change most people’s view of history and connection with racist symbols. There’s a lot of hurt behind that. That flag was waving when people were hung from trees by their neck. People’s ancestors. That’s a part of American history. That’s a part of Black history in this country. So to say, “No, we’re reclaiming it,” ignores the fact that there are centuries of hurt behind that. For this one individual to say, “I’m going to change the narrative,” it dismisses everyone else’s. It’s a very selfish thing to do. I think it’s very similar when we’re looking at something as divisive as white lives matter.
Image via Civic Cipher/ Eric LaRokk
What is the significance of two Black men owning the rights to this phrase?
RJ: I think the optics there matter primarily because recently there was a Black man who was popularizing this phrase and effectively making it OK for non-Black people to wear and share this very hurtful message. For Black people to reclaim that, I’ll never say it was almost worth going through it, but I recognize reading the comments that we see on social media, that people feel like they’ve gotten back a little bit of justice. Bear in mind, this isn’t ours. We didn’t think of this. We’re just at the center of it, for better or worse. This is really Black people’s moment.
“For this one individual to say, ‘I’m going to change the narrative,’ it dismisses everyone else’s. It’s a very selfish thing to do.”
We are just the deciders and the holders of this tool at present. We’re a radio show. We’re two friends. We are not lawyers. We are not trademark people. But for now, it’s important for Black people to sit back and say, “Yes, we needed that. We needed that this month.” It’s like poetic justice… I couldn’t be happier that there are two Black men holding the keys to the future of this phrase. No matter what comes, we are committed to always choosing the highest good or doing the thing that impacts the most number of people positively in our estimation. We’re not trying to be contrarian and change the world by hurting people. You can get a lot more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. We want to make sure that we inspire people, and we don’t hurt them. So here we are. Two Black men.
What do you predict the impact you owning this trademark will have on its use by others?
RJ: We’re learning trademark stuff, too, and in real time because, again, we didn’t expect to be talking to someone as cool as you. The intention was to make sure that a person who has a profile larger than your everyman profile, someone who has real capacity to impact the culture and to change the narrative or to shift the optics of the narrative for a certain group of people in this country, to thinking that it’s OK to wear these type of clothes. The idea here was to keep a person in that position from leaning into doing anything crazy, à la a Donald Trump-level figure. In recent weeks, we’ve seen a person with a lot of status maneuver in such a way to where this term has now become a conversation that people are having at dinner tables around the country. I feel like protecting it from an individual like that is, A, realistic because those types of people don’t love lawsuits. If we want to nickel and dime people who are making a thousand shirts here and there and selling them at Trump rallies, we can certainly do that. That’s a little bit more expensive, but not a fight that we are not willing to have.
QW: At the time that this really became a hot topic, it was at Fashion Week. At that time, Kanye West had billion dollar partnerships with major fashion corporations. So our holding of the trademark stopped people with that level of reach and that level of access to manufacture and distribute such a hateful shirt and such a divisive shirt, from doing so. Like Ramses said, any screen printer in any city can print as many of those shirts as they want, give them out for free or sell them because we just don’t have the capacity to police it on that level. But someone like him, with that level of influence and that level of visibility, it was very, very important. It could be very, very impactful in stopping a Fashion Week show from turning into major fashion with a phrase that was come up with to oppose and be contrarian to the idea that our lives are worth living.
What do you hope will be the final outcome after this?
RJ: We understand the way news works. Six months from now and a year from now, this may not be something that people are talking about. After the next presidential election, depending on how that goes, this specific phrase may be far in the rear view and may not need as vigorous of protecting. At present, we’re just focused on making sure that people aren’t harmed in a significant way and that no one is profiting from this hateful phrase.
QW: Best case scenario, it just goes away. Nobody wants to sell the shirts. Nobody’s saying the phrase. It’s not popular anymore. It’s not buzzing. It’s not hot.
