• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
LifestyleAdidas
Europe

Adidas launches investigation into Kanye West’s alleged ‘toxic’ culture of porn, bullying, and mind games at Yeezy

Sophie Mellor
By
Sophie Mellor
Sophie Mellor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Sophie Mellor
By
Sophie Mellor
Sophie Mellor
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 25, 2022, 7:56 AM ET
Kanye West showing his phone
Kanye West aka Ye is seen on October 28, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.MEGA—GC Images/Getty Images

Adidas has launched an investigation into allegations that it turned a blind eye to inappropriate behavior from Ye while he was heading Yeezy and making shoes for the German sportswear giant.

The investigation comes after a Rolling Stone report detailed incidents of inappropriate and often sexualized treatment of staff by the rapper and fashion designer formally known as Kanye West. The report, which cited more than two dozen former Yeezy and Adidas staff, said Adidas was made aware of Ye’s “problematic behavior” but ignored the allegations and “turned their moral compass off.”

Adidas has already dropped Kanye West after his tirade of anti-Semitic and racist remarks in mid-November, which wiped out the entire valuation of Yeezy and trimmed $1.5 billion from Ye’s net worth. The acrimonious split between Adidas and Yeezy also left a mark on Adidas’ profit forecasts, which the company has had to slash twice by up to €250 million for the year.

Adidas says it initiated the probe after it received an anonymous letter that, according to Rolling Stone, came from several high-ranking employees for Yeezy. In it, the author or authors urged Adidas to address “the toxic and chaotic environment that Kanye West created” and “a very sick pattern of predacious behavior toward women.”

“This type of response from a brand partner is one that Adidas employees should never be subjected to, nor should Adidas leadership ever tolerate,” the letter says.

In a statement to Fortune, Adidas said that while it is unclear if the accusations are true, “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 allegations

In the Rolling Stone report, former Yeezy and Adidas staffer claim Ye played pornography to Yeezy staff in meetings and showed intimate photographs of Kim Kardashian and sex tapes of himself with various women during meetings and job interviews. In the anonymous letter sent to Adidas, the former staffers also said that Ye has in the past years “exploded at women in the room with offensive remarks and would resort to sexually disturbing references when providing design feedback.”

While it is hard to imagine a boss showing porn in business meeting, in mid-October Ye himself posted a 30-minute documentary on YouTube showing such behavior. In the video, titled Last Week, Kanye is seen showing two Adidas executives a pornographic film while claiming that the voice of one of the porn actors resembles that of one of the executives, who dismisses the suggestion.

Asset management firm Union Investment, which owns a 0.76% stake in Adidas, wrote to the company to demand more information on these claims. “Adidas needs to disclose when the management and the supervisory board was first informed about the internal allegations,” Janne Werning, head of ESG capital markets and stewardship at Union Investment, said in a statement to Reuters.

Pete Fox, who served as the president of Yeezy in 2016, was the only person to speak on record in the Rolling Stone article, saying, “I never looked at porn with him or anything like that, but we would look at things together that maybe would be surprising to people.”

Fox also defended Ye, saying that, “In high fashion, there’s a lot of sexy, controversial things that maybe they reference or look at, as opposed to a company like Adidas where you would never show any nudity in a mood board.”

Since Adidas dropped Ye, it has replaced its CEO with Bjorn Gulden, the former chief executive officer of rival Puma. Gulden is due to take over in January to try and help the company recover from the Ye controversy as well as raise sales in China, which have faltered amid consumer boycotts of Western brands. 

As for Ye, the fashion designer has had few people to turn to since the controversy over his anti-Semitic and racist remarks. The talent agencies representing him—Creative Artists Agency and United Talent Agency—his lawyers at Cohen Clair Lans Greifer Thorpe & Rottenstreich, the fashion magazine Vogue, and the production company making his documentary, MRC entertainment, all severed ties with the artist. In addition, brands like Balenciaga, Gap, Foot Locker, and Sketchers all condemned Ye and refuse to work with him.

Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter will examine how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today's executives—and how they can best navigate those challenges. Subscribe here.

About the Author
Sophie Mellor
By Sophie Mellor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Lifestyle

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Lifestyle

Sun Home Cold Plunge Pro Review (2026): Is It Right for You?
HealthDietary Supplements
Sun Home Cold Plunge Pro Review (2026): Is It Right for You?
By Emily PharesMay 20, 2026
24 minutes ago
target
Retailearnings
Target posts biggest jump in comparable sales in 4 years as turnaround takes shape
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
TSA’s new ‘straight to gate’ pilot lets Delta and JetBlue flyers clear security 25 miles before they reach the airport
Travel & LeisureTSA
TSA’s new ‘straight to gate’ pilot lets Delta and JetBlue flyers clear security 25 miles before they reach the airport
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewMay 19, 2026
22 hours ago
david hassell
Future of WorkWorkplace Innovation Summit
CEO of AI-powered performance review firm says annual evaluations weren’t designed for the AI era: ‘The practice just hasn’t kept up’
By Jake AngeloMay 19, 2026
23 hours ago
Photo of Brian Stelter
Arts & EntertainmentWorkplace Innovation Summit
CNN analyst and ‘The Morning Show’ producer says Stephen Colbert is a role model for his ‘positive’ outlook on his show ending
By Emma BurleighMay 19, 2026
24 hours ago
‘Change the World’ idealism is dying in Silicon Valley. We’ll miss it when it’s gone
CommentarySilicon Valley
‘Change the World’ idealism is dying in Silicon Valley. We’ll miss it when it’s gone
By Jonathan WeberMay 19, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
21 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
8 days ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
Travel & Leisure
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
By Rio Yamat and The Associated PressMay 18, 2026
2 days ago
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
Personal Finance
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
By Courtney Vinopal and HR BrewMay 18, 2026
2 days ago