After being barred from his account for almost three weeks for making anti-Semitic statements, Kanye West has returned to Instagram.
In one of his first posts on Wednesday night, West, 45, spoke about his change of fortunes.
He addressed a message to Ari Emanuel, the CEO of the talent agency Endeavor, who had condemned his "misguided hate " in a newspaper op-ed.
In the post, captioned "LOVE SPEECH," Ye wrote: "I lost 2 billion dollars in one day and I'm still alive. This is a love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. Money is not who I am. The people are who I am."
On October 9, West was banned from posting on Instagram and several businesses have cut connections with him as a result of his comments.
The embattled rapper and fashion designer who has legally changed his name to Ye started this dispute on October 3 at his Yeezy fashion show in Paris when he showed up sporting a shirt that read "White Lives Matter," a phrase that is frequently used by opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement as well as white supremacists.
West responded to the criticisms that greeted his stunt by sharing a screenshot of what looked to be a text message interaction with the rap mogul, Sean "Diddy" Combs, in which he replied to Combs' objection by saying he would "show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me."
West continued to express his opinions on Twitter after his account was banned on Instagram as a result of the post that has since been removed.
"I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," West posted in a tweet that is no longer available.
"The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are Jews also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to blackball anyone who opposes your agenda.
Ye's Twitter account was blocked as well, but he continued to make similar comments in other interviews, which caused some companies to cut connections with him.
Following West's persistence, on October 19, Ari Emanuel wrote in his op-ed for the Financial Times that those who "continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience.
"There should be no tolerance anywhere for West's antisemitism. This is a moment in history where the stakes are high and being open about our values, and living them, is essential. Silence and inaction are not an option," Emanuel added.
West claimed on an October 16 episode of the Drink Champs podcast, that Adidas would not let him go despite his actions. Since 2015, he has collaborated with the well-known sportswear brand on his Yeezy sneaker collections.
"The thing about me and Adidas is, like, I can say antisemitic s*** and they can't drop me. I can say antisemitic things and Adidas can't drop me. Now what?" Ye said during the interview.
But on Tuesday, Adidas proved him wrong by announcing the end of their business relationship.
In a statement, the company told Newsweek that it "does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.
"Ye's recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, and they violate the company's values of diversity, inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness.
"After a thorough review, the company has decided to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy-branded products, and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect."
Furthermore, NME reports that apart from Adidas, Ye's business ventures with Balenciaga, as well as collaborations with the talent agency, Creative Arts Agency (CAA), and Hollywood production company and financiers, MRC, have all been canceled, due to his actions.
Forbes has revealed that Ye's net worth dropped from $2 billion to a comparatively modest $400 million as a result of the end of ties with the various business partners.
West also published a meme about his disastrous month upon rejoining Instagram.
He captioned the mock headline: "Had to cut ties bro," stating that "Ye has reportedly severed relations with Kanye West."
This comes after Skechers turned down his request to work with them, while TJ Maxx and Foot Locker became the latest businesses to sever relations with West.
According to NME, a representative for TJ Maxx told CNN that the retailer “do[es] not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or hate of any kind”.
They confirmed that the company would cease stocking Yeezy-branded products in all of its worldwide markets spanning over 4,500 stores.
TJ Maxx continuing said: “We have instructed our buying teams not to purchase this merchandise for sale in any of our stores globally.”
Foot Locker similarly made it clear that West’s recent conduct was the reason why his Yeezy Gap products are being taken off the shelves.
Also speaking to CNN, a representative said: “Our former partner’s recent remarks and behavior further underscore why we are taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap products from our stores.”
Additionally, Ye’s Donda Academy has closed with immediate effect.
Many artists, celebrities, politicians, and organizations have also publicly condemned West over his recent remarks, said the NME.
West has consistently refuted accusations that his remarks regarding Jews are racist. While he initially refused to acknowledge the existence of the word "anti-Semitism" because he believes it is "not factual," he has since extended an "apology " to those whom his remarks offended.
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