Anti-Defamation League Says Adidas CEO Has Apologized For Remarks About Kanye West

In a post on X (née Twitter) Thursday, ADL’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, said he spoke to Gulden and noted that the Adidas head has since apologized for his “misstatement” about West during a recent interview.

Greenblatt also said that Gulden “reiterated” Addidas’ commitment to fighting antisemitism.

“Good to speak with @Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden this morning. Bjorn apologized for his misstatement & reiterated that Adidas is committed to fighting #antisemitism & is completely opposed to the ugly hate expressed by @kanyewest,” Greenblatt wrote. “Glad Adidas, @ADL & @FCASorg are working together to #FightHateForGood.”

The misstatement in question came earlier this month, during Gulden’s remarks on an investing podcast called Good Company, where he said he doubted that West “meant what he said” following a series of offensive and antisemitic comments last year.

“I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world,” Gulden said in the episode, released September 12. “Very unfortunate, because I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person. It just came off that way.”

Gulden’s remarks also came under fire by the  American Jewish Committee, whose CEO, Ted Deutch, issued a statement ahead of Greenblatt’s tweet Thursday, calling on Gulden, who took over as the sportwear company’s CEO last January, to “set the record” straight, and prove that Adidas is taking its fight on antisemitism seriously.

In a statement of their own, Adidas confirmed to The Associated Press that the company had been in touch with ADL, but didn’t go into details about the conversation between Greenblatt and Gulden, instead referring to the ADL CEO’s tweet.

“Our decision to end our partnership with Ye because of his unacceptable comments and behavior was absolutely the right one,” Adidas said. “Our stance has not changed: Hate of any kind has no place in sports or society, and we remain committed to fighting it.”

West’s partnership with Adidas ended last year, after the company cut ties with the Yeezy designer over his myriad of hateful comments, including one tweet in which he said he was going to go, “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”

The company not only discontinued West’s line of Yeezy shoes, they also moved up the planned departure of their then-CEO, Kasper Rorsted.

In a statement made at the time, the company said it “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” adding. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”