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Skechers says Ye was escorted out of its offices after an unannounced visit

Kanye West holds a Yeezy shoe as he speaks on stage at the "Kanye West and Steven Smith in Conversation with Mark Wilson" at the on Nov. 7, 2019 in New York City.
Brad Barket
/
Getty Images for Fast Company
Kanye West holds a Yeezy shoe as he speaks on stage at the "Kanye West and Steven Smith in Conversation with Mark Wilson" at the on Nov. 7, 2019 in New York City.

The month of October for the rapper formerly known as Kanye West became more turbulent on Wednesday when shoe company Skechers said he was escorted out of its Los Angeles-area office after showing up unannounced.

The Grammy winner who is now known as Ye showed up at the shoemaker's Manhattan Beach offices "without invitation," the company said.

"Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation," Skechers said in a statement.

It is not clear why Ye made a visit to the shoe company, but it was the latest in a string of episodes after the artist made several antisemitic remarks. On Tuesday, Adidas, his longtime distributor for his Yeezy sneaker and apparel brand, said Tuesday it is cutting ties with him because of his statements.

Adidas has not been the only company to jump ship. Gap on Tuesday said it would pull all Yeezy brand clothing from its website and stores. The Balenciaga fashion house and Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency have also ended their relationships with Ye.

The Associated Press reported that other companies that also announced cutting ties with Ye include Foot Locker, TJ Maxx, JPMorgan Chase bank and Vogue magazine.

In its Wednesday announcement, Skechers said it "is not considering and has no intention of working with West. We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech."

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Ayana Archie
[Copyright 2024 NPR]