Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald announced Tuesday he is cutting ties with Donda Sports, the sports marketing agency founded by Kanye West earlier this year, due to West’s recent antisemitic tirades.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown also decided to part ways one day after indicating he would stay with the firm.
“The recent comments and displays of hate and antisemitism are the exact opposite of how we choose to live our lives and raise our children,” Donald wrote in a social media post signed by Aaron and Erica Donald. “We find them to be irresponsible and go against everything we believe in as a family.
“As parents and members of society, we felt a responsibility to send a clear message that hateful words and actions have consequences and that we must do better as human beings. We do not feel our beliefs, voices and actions belong anywhere near a space that misrepresents and oppresses people of any background, ethnicity or race.”
West’s social media accounts were restricted earlier this month as a result of repeated hateful comments toward Jewish people.
Adidas and CAA have also ceased working with West as a consequence.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. 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,” Adidas said in a statement.
Brown said Monday night that he disagreed with West’s stances but was not going to part ways with the agency. He reversed field on Tuesday.
“In the past 24 hours, I’ve been able to reflect and better understand how my previous statements lack clarity in expressing my stance against recent insensitive public remarks and actions,” Brown said in a statement. “For that, I apologize. And in this, I seek to be as clear as possible. I have always, and will always, continue to stand strongly against any antisemitism, hate speech, misrepresentation, and oppressive rhetoric of any kind.
“In light of that, after sharing in conversations, I now recognize there are times when my voice and my position can’t coexist in spaces that don’t correspond with my stance or my values. And, for that reason, I am terminating my association with Donda Sports.”
–Field Level Media
