Kanye West, now going by Ye, made an entrance straight out of a reality TV script, but this time, the door didn’t swing open for him. In 2022, the rapper and music mogul showed up uninvited at Skechers’ Los Angeles office, hoping for a shot at redemption — only to be swiftly escorted out.
Skechers wasted no time shutting it down. Per CNBC, the company said Ye “showed up unannounced and without invitation” while also “engaged in unauthorized filming.” After a brief chat with two company execs, Ye was shown the door with zero chance of an endorsement deal. Skechers made it crystal clear: “We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.” So much for the shoe deal of the year.
This awkward encounter came just one day after Adidas officially cut ties with Ye. Adidas called it quits in a stunning move, leaving Ye’s empire in shambles. Forbes even reported that his net worth dropped by a whopping $1.5 billion, with his fortune now sitting at a mere $400 million. That Adidas deal had been a cash cow, but not anymore. His portfolio now includes music, real estate, and a 5% stake in Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company, Skims. Not bad, but nowhere near his former “billionaire” status.
And if you thought Ye was going to take this all lying down, think again. In a post titled “LOVE SPEECH,” he went public with his feelings: “I LOST 2 BILLION DOLLARS IN ONE DAY,” he wrote. “THE MONEY IS NOT WHO I AM … THE PEOPLE IS WHO I AM.” Call it a dramatic exit, but Ye’s got his way of bouncing back, even if it’s a little chaotic.
Now, this whole Skechers fiasco didn’t come out of nowhere. Kanye West had already been on the radar for many controversies long before his most recent X rant. First, there was the White Lives Matter shirt at Paris Fashion Week, then the drama with Vogue’s Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. But the real showstopper came when he tweeted he was going “death con 3 on Jewish people.” That sent shockwaves through the industry, leading to mass condemnations across the board.
Foot Locker, Gap, and other retailers quickly distanced themselves from Ye, pulling his Yeezy line from their shelves. The fallout was fast and furious, and it’s safe to say Ye’s brand took a significant hit. As if his reputation wasn’t already on fire, his attempts to find a new partnership only worsened things. So, with his “Skechers strategy” failing spectacularly, Kanye West’s fall from grace is still unfolding. From billion-dollar deals to being shown the door at Skechers, one thing’s clear: it’s not just shoes slipping through his fingers.
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