Kanye West Claims Adidas Stole His Design After Yeezy — Partnership Placed Under Review

Rapper Kanye West, who legally changed his name to Ye, may be parting ways soon with his retail partner Adidas after the company tried to quietly resolve various business disagreements behind the scenes.

This comes after Ye made a series of rants in the past, including claims Adidas made a fake Yeezy slide design and hosted a Yeezy Day event, which is a branded day on the re-release of various Yeezy sneakers, without the rapper’s alleged approval.

Ye also alleged in an Instagram screenshot posted on Complex that the company made hiring decisions for the brand that included the general manager of Yeezy without his approval.

In 2013, the retail giant announced its partnership with Ye to manufacture and distribute products from his Yeezy clothing line.

That announcement became firm in 2016 as the Yeezy brand currently represents 4-8% of the company’s total revenue, according to Cowen’s John Kernan.

Adidas issued a statement Friday surrounding their business model and partnership with the now acclaimed fashion designer as the company says their relationship with Ye is under review.

The statements goes on to read:

“Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation, and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision. The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history.

We are proud of our team that has worked tirelessly throughout our collaboration with Ye and the iconic products that were born from it.

We also recognize that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values. After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”

Ye has also been in the news recently for wearing a White Lives Matter t-shirt with political commentator Candace Owens in Paris during a runway show apart of Paris Fashion Week, where he unveiled his YZY Season 9 collection.