Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden said in a recent "In Good Company" podcast that he doesn't think Kanye West "meant what he said" when the rapper spewed anti-semitic comments last year.
Gulden complimented West, calling him "one of the most creative people in the world." He added that the fact that Ye made the statements, which resulted in Adidas breaking the contract with him, "wasn't that good."
"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 across that way," Gulden said. "That meant we lost that business, one of the most successful collabs in the history … very sad."
However, he added that it's part of the game when working with third parties. "That can happen with an athlete, it can happen with an entertainer. It's part of the business."
Adidas took a huge financial hit after the dissolution of the Yeezy line of shoes. The company said it expected to lose $1.3 billion in revenue this year because it was unable to sell the designer's Yeezy clothing and shoes.
(Photo: Adidas)
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