Adidas has definitely made a bold statement by severing ties with American rapper Kanye West. However, this is not the first time that the multi-billion dollar company has boldly chartered into unknown territory. Years ago, Adidas’ announcement regarding Dale Earnhardt Jr made it to the front page!

In June 2007, Dale Earnhardt Jr shook the NASCAR community with his announcement. At Moorseville, North Carolina, Earnhardt revealed that he would be driving for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008 instead of driving for his father’s team.

And a few weeks later, Adidas made yet another announcement that stirred up the already shaken NASCAR community. The sports apparel company announced that they have signed a multi-year contract with Dale Earnhardt Jr to venture into the realm of U.S Motorsport.

Furthermore, the company said that it will be sponsoring Earnhardt Jr’s apparel, accessories as well as footwear. As per the deal, Adidas will be making the NASCAR driver’s racing suit and driving shoes as well as his off-track clothing and footwear.

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Adidas’ entry into the US Motorsport sector was a huge step. And Dale Earnhardt Jr’s line of clothing is still available for sale on various websites. However, now, the company has once again made an announcement that can be seen as a huge statement.

Why did Adidas cut ties with Kanye West?

Kanye West posted a series of anti-Semitic posts on his social media handles that attracted massive criticism and backlash from people across the world. Earlier in October, the American rapper accused his colleague, P. Diddy of being controlled by Jewish people, continuing an age-old antisemitic motif against the community.

And soon, the multi-billion dollar corporation condemned the comments posted by Kanye. Adidas stated; “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.”

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As a result of this, the company announced that it would be terminating its contract with Kanye West. Moreover, it would be halting the production of products branded as ‘Yeezy’ and stopping all payments to West. Apart from Adidas, Gap Inc., and Balenciaga too have severed ties with the American rapper over his distasteful remarks.