WASHINGTON—Adidas is facing a class-action lawsuit from investors who allege the company knew about offensive remarks and harmful behavior from Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, years before ending its partnership with him.
The German sportsbrand cut ties with its star collaborator in late October, following Ye’s antisemitic comments on social media and in interviews.
At the time, Adidas said the company “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech” and called Ye’s remarks and actions “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous.”
The current lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon on Friday, claims that Adidas was aware of the potential harm that Ye’s problematic behavior could cause the company for some time—pointing to earlier incidents, including 2018 comments where Ye suggested slavery was a “choice” and reports of Ye making antisemitic statements in front of Adidas staff….