Fashion house Balenciaga cuts ties with Kanye West for “hate” campaign after the rapper raps against diversity, Islam and the “blessed” West’s ‘diversity and inclusion.’
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The fashion house of Balenciaga has apologized for its use of the words “diversity” and “inclusion” during a controversial rap by singer Kanye West.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the fashion house said that the rapper had used the terms “in a derogatory manner” and that it had never “had any intention of endorsing the statements.”
“In the end, we have been forced to apologize for using the word ‘diversity,’” the statement said. “We had no intention of endorsing the comments, and in fact have been forced to apologize for the inappropriate use of the word in the first place.”
The news comes just weeks after rapper Kanye West apologized over controversial comments he made in an interview with GQ Magazine.
In that interview, West said, “I’m not really trying to be controversial. It’s just the way I express my thoughts. I can’t help it. Life is confusing and I just speak my mind.”
In a statement, the fashion house said it was “not surprised by Mr. West‘s comments” but had stood by its decision to use the word “diversity” in its campaign ad, which was released last week.
The ad features West telling a woman to “be confident in who you are,” “be proud” of her accomplishments, “and be proud of your diversity,” while “inclusion” appears in small caps on the screen in the background