PARIS: Balenciaga has reportedly ended its partnership with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
In a statement to Women’s Wear Daily, Balenciaga parent Kering said “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.”
Balenciaga did not respond to a request for comment from PRWeek.
The French fashion brand’s decision followed a series of incidents in which Ye used anti-Semitic speech and wore a White Lives Matter T-shirt at a “secret” catwalk during Paris fashion week.
On a recent episode of the Drink Champs podcast, Ye said that George Floyd was not murdered by Derek Chauvin, but instead died from fentanyl use. On Tuesday, Floyd’s family said it plans to file a $250 million lawsuit against Ye.
One of Ye’s other fashion partners, Adidas, has put its relationship with the producer-turned-rapper “under review.” Crisis, legal and sports communications experts discussed Adidas’ decision this week with PRWeek and encouraged other brands to keep their distance from West.
Kering’s Other Houses, which include Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen, posted revenue of $978.2 million in Q3, a 13% increase from the year before, according to a company statement. Kering as a whole said its group revenue increased 14% year-over-year to roughly $5 billion in Q3.