YEEZY.com Taken Offline Following Ye’s Antisemitic Tirade and Swastika T-Shirt Controversy
YEEZY.com, the official website for Kanye West’s fashion brand, has been shut down in the wake of the rapper’s recent antisemitic outburst on Twitter and the sale of a swastika-emblazoned t-shirt on the YEEZY webstore. As of Tuesday morning, the site’s landing page has been replaced by a single screen that simply reads “This store is unavailable.”
In a statement to the New York Times, a spokesperson for Shopify – the e-commerce platform that hosts the YEEZY webstore – revealed that the brand had violated their terms and was removed from the platform. This comes after YEEZY ran a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl, encouraging viewers to visit the site while sitting in a dentist’s chair. The ad sparked controversy for its use of a swastika-emblazoned t-shirt and Ye’s previous history of antisemitic remarks.
Previously, the YEEZY webstore offered a range of products including t-shirts, sweatpants, and shoes, all priced at $20 USD. However, shortly after the Super Bowl ad aired, the selection of goods was replaced by a single white t-shirt with a black swastika named the “HH” tee, likely standing for “Heil Hitler.” The Super Bowl’s broadcast partner, Fox, has yet to comment on the content of the advertisement.
The Anti-Defamation League, a non-government organization founded to combat antisemitism, bigotry, and discrimination, condemned the use of the swastika in the ad, stating that it “galvanized [Adolf Hitler’s] followers in the 20th century and continues to threaten and instill fear in those targeted by antisemitism and white supremacy.”
This is not the first time Ye’s antisemitism has caused controversy. In 2022, he was suspended from Twitter after a series of offensive messages and was reinstated a month later. When his account was restored, he issued an apology via an Instagram post written in Hebrew, which many believed was written by AI. As of now, YEEZY has yet to release a statement regarding its suspension from the platform.
