Kanye West’s Yeezy website was deactivated by Shopify hours after his Super Bowl ad directed people to the sole item for sale: a white t-shirt with a black s####### emblazoned on the front. Shopify is the back-end platform that powered the t-shirt store on the Yeezy website.
A Shopify spokesperson told CNN that the “merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms so we removed them. All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform.” The site was no longer available as of Monday night (February 10).
West’s 30-second, low budget ad aired during Super Bowl LIX on Sunday night (February 9), but it wasn’t a national ad on FOX, so only viewers in a few markets saw it. FOX doesn’t have control over all the commercials that air on its affiliates. Shopify allowed the website to remain online and sell the antisemitic t-shirts for more than 24 hours. That ignited outrage on social media and from the Anti-Defamation League. He reportedly sold more than 100,000 of the shirts before the site was deactivated.
“The s####### is the symbol adopted by Hitler as the primary emblem of the Nazis,” the ADL said in a statement. “It galvanized his followers in the 20th century and continues to threaten and instill fear in those targeted by antisemitism and white supremacy. There’s no excuse for this kind of behavior.”
West went on a Twitter (X) tear last week, spewing antisemitic, homophobic and misogynistic hate speech to his more than 32 million followers. Celebrities, Jewish groups, anti-hate organizations and other X accounts pleaded with Elon Musk to take action, though Musk himself has courted controversy with his own behavior and comments about the Holocaust.
On Sunday evening, West seemed to deactivate his own account, posting, “I’m logging out of Twitter. I appreciate Elon for allowing me to vent, It has been very cathartic to use the world as a sounding board.”
West’s wife, Bianca Censori who just days earlier appeared naked on the Grammys red carpet, distanced herself from the tweets.
“Protect him from trouble and lead him toward understanding and respect for all people,” Censori wrote in a message shared on Twitter (X). “Every religion has its allegiance, & mine is with Israel. I respect pple of all faiths, & while Ye’s words were triggered by many things, God knows his heart, he is a good man, though imperfect, like all of us. May wisdom and peace prevail.
“Lord, I lift up my husband to You with love and concern. Soften his heart, guide his words, and fill him with wisdom and kindness. Despite our differences, I love him unconditionally. Strengthen our bond and help me be a source of patience and encouragement. I trust in Your grace to work in his heart. God Bless Israel and all the good Jewish people. Amen.”