A completed documentary about Kanye West has been shelved following his recent anti-Semitic comments, with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian saying hate speech “is never acceptable and can never be justified”.
Studio executives Modi Vicik, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley – of documentary production company MRC – said in a statement on Monday that they “cannot support any content that expands its platform”.
The 45-year-old American rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye last year, was also dropped by talent agency CAA over the controversy.
And reality star Kardashian, 42, wrote on Twitter and Instagram: “Hate speech is never normal and can never be justified. I stand with the Jewish community and call for an immediate end to the horrific violence and hateful rhetoric directed at them.”
West was recently banned from posting on Instagram and Twitter over posts that social media companies say violate their terms of service.
Lately, the artist has made a number of controversial statements.
In addition to saying he’s going to go on a “lethal operation 3” against the Jews, he also suggested slavery was a “choice” and called the COVID-19 vaccine “the mark of the beast.”
Modi Vichik and Asif Satchu are the co-founders and co-CEOs of MRC Entertainment. Scott Tenley is MRC’s Chief Business Officer.
In a lengthy note, the trio discussed the history of anti-Semitism.
They wrote: “Kanye is a music producer and sampler. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has been around for over 3,000 years – the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.
“This song was performed a cappella in the days of the Pharaohs, Babylon and Rome, it was acoustic with The Spanish Inquisition and the Russian Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took the song electric. Now, Kanye has helped make it popular in the modern age.”
Earlier this month, West was widely criticized for wearing a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt to his own collection show at Paris Fashion Week.
The postponement of the documentary came after the French fashion house Balenciaga and the American banking firm JP Morgan both severed ties with the West.
Others in Hollywood – including other members of Kim Kardashian’s family – have condemned the anti-Semitism.
Still, some have come out in support of the rapper, with protesters unfurling banners praising West on an overpass in Los Angeles over the weekend.
https://news.sky.com/story/kim-kardashian-says-hate-speech-never-okay-as-acompleted-kanye-west-documentary-is-shelved-12729566
