Adidas shareholders have filed a class action lawsuit against the sportswear company, claiming that it knew for years about Kanye West's problematic behaviour, and could have dropped his Yeezy brand before the partnership was brought to a close due to his anti-Semitic comments.
Adidas rejects the claims made by the shareholders. Responding to the lawsuit, a statement from the company informs that it will "take all necessary measures to vigorously defend ourselves" against the claims made.
Last year, Adidas ended its partnership with Yeezy and West over anti-Semitic comments made by the rapper. West is not party to the lawsuit, however, and it appears the shareholders stake their issue wholly with Adidas, which they believe could have mitigated the losses caused by West's rantings.
The lawsuit claims that Kanye West should've been dropped in 2018 when he stated that slavery "sounds like a choice." However, at that time Adidas remained in partnership with the rapper.
Thanks, The Guardian.