An Investigation Has Opened Into The Mistreatment of Adidas Employees By Kanye West
It’s all very messy.
Adidas is set to launch an independent investigation into Kanye West’s conduct after multiple former employees came forward this week with allegations of misconduct, including claims that he showed explicit photos and videos of his then-wife Kim Kardashian to staff.
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone revealed allegations from former Adidas employees, who detailed how West reportedly showed them the material as an “intimidation tactic”, among other things.
At least three former employees shared similar allegations, with one adding that he was “not afraid to show explicit images or talk about situations that should be kept private.”
In addition to this, staff also alleged in an open letter to Adidas that the company failed to protect them from “years of verbal abuse, vulgar tirades, and bullying attacks”.
The company severed ties with the Yeezy founder a month ago after he made antisemitic threats on social media, but has since announced it will launch an investigation into his conduct while he was with the brand. It comes after one of the company’s biggest shareholders, Union Investment, demanded answers on the alleged incidents involving West.
In a statement on Thursday, Adidas confirmed that it is taking the allegations “very seriously” and have “taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address the allegations”.
However, the company added in a statement that “it is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true.”
The launch of the investigation comes after Adidas told Rolling Stone it “will not discuss private conversations, details, or events that lead [sic] to our decision to terminate the Adidas Yeezy partnership.”