It’s not going well for Kanye West. Not long ago, the rapper was dropped by Balenciaga and a slew of other companies. Foot Locker and TJ Maxx have now decided to cut all ties, while Skechers has refused to engage with West in future collaborations. All of this is a response to the rapper’s recent antisemitic and racist comments.
A representative for TJ Maxx told CNN that the company would stop stocking Yeezy brand products in all of its stores (some 4,500). “We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or hate of any kind,” the rep said. “We have instructed our buying teams not to purchase this merchandise for sale in any of our stores globally.”
Foot Locker has since clarified that the removal of Yeezy Gap products from stores is a direct result of the rapper’s recent comments. Also speaking to CNN, another representative said: “Our former partner’s recent remarks and behaviour further underscore why we are taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap products from our stores.”
The spokesperson added that Foot Locker intended to maintain its partnership with Adidas, who also decided to drop Kanye this week. Any new or unsold products are set to be pulled from stores around the world. “We will not be supporting any future Yeezy product drops,” they continued, “and we have instructed our retail operators to pull any existing product from our shelves and digital sites.”
Gap, Def Jam, and JP Morgan Chase have all also cut ties with West, as have the rapper’s lawyer and booking agency. West’s net worth has since plummeted from $2billion (that’s £1.3billion) to $400million (£348million).
In other news, West was recently escorted from Skechers HQ in Manhattan Beach, California, after he made a surprise visit. A spokesperson for the shoe brand told TMZ that West arrived at its main office “unannounced and without invitation”. After engaging in a “brief conversation” with two executives and some “unauthorised filming”, he was given the boot by security.
