Kanye West Gets Dropped By Major Collaborator Amid Ongoing Controversies

Kanye "Ye" West is back at it again, however, this time his fashion partners are making it clear they do not condone his behavior. The "Stronger" rapper made national headlines earlier this month after he was pictured sporting a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt at his Yeezy fashion show. Despite the backlash that ensued online, the media mogul doubled down on his decision behind the design. "I do certain things from a feeling," he said during an interview on "Tucker Carson Tonight." He added, "I just channel the energy, it just feels right. It's using a gut instinct, a connection with God, and just brilliance." 

In addition to wearing the controversial shirt, Ye became the topic of conversation, once again, after he made several antisemitic comments during an appearance on "Drink Champs." The fashion icon believes Jewish people are "[owning] the Black voice" by "being signed to a record label, or having a Jewish manager, or being signed to a Jewish basketball team, or doing a movie on a Jewish platform like Disney," (via Billboard).

While Ye has always been one to speak his mind, his latest remarks have landed him in some seriously hot water, and many of his collaborators are officially pulling the plug on their partnerships. 

According to Women's Wear Daily, Balenciaga is cutting Kanye "Ye" West — who has had some bizarre rants — loose as a result of his antisemitic comments. "Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist," parent company Kering said in a statement obtained by the outlet. This news comes just two weeks after Ye opened up for "Balenciaga's summer 2023 show." The rapper also teamed up with the fashion brand earlier this year for the launch of his Yeezy Gap Engineered line. Although Ye and Demna Gvasalia — the head of Balenciaga — are reportedly close friends, this is now the first company to officially cut ties with the rapper after his latest antisemitic rant, per Forbes. 

In addition to being cut from the fashion brand, NBA star LeBron James also axed an episode of his show "The Shop" which Ye was featured on, according to TMZ. "Unfortunately, he used 'The Shop' to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes," Maverick Carter said in a statement. However, despite the backlash, Ye appears to be unfazed. "God forbid one comment could cause people to feel any of the pain that my people have went through for years," he said during an interview on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" (via NME). 

Although Ye later apologized for causing "hurt and confusion," the damage was already done.