Adidas is investigating inappropriate behavior claims made against Kanye West, with whom the company recently ended a partnership.
The German athletic apparel brand initiated the probe after reviewing an anonymous letter detailing his alleged misconduct.
“It is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true,” Adidas said in a statement to NBC News.
“However, we take these allegations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address the allegations.”
The announcement comes after Rolling Stone detailed allegations of inappropriate behavior by the rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye. Among the claims are that Ye showed nude photos of ex-wife Kim Kardashian to employees at his Yeezy brand, and that senior leaders at the company turned a “blind eye” to Ye’s behavior.
Adidas in October ended its shoe and clothing collaboration with West, who came under fire for a series of antisemitic social media posts and comments. He was also criticized for claiming George Floyd died from the drug fentanyl and for wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt. Adidas faced backlash for allegedly dragging its feet in severing ties with West.
“Adidas does not tolerate hate speech and offensive behavior and therefore has terminated the adidas Yeezy partnership,” the company said last month.
“We have been and continue to be actively engaged in conversations with our employees about the events that lead to our decision to end the partnership. They have our full support and as we’re working through the details of the termination.”
