Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is standing by his friend Kanye “Ye” West once again amid controversies surrounding West’s recent antisemitic remarks, which have resulted in multiple banks ending financial services for West as well as other huge partnerships, such as his longtime association with Adidas, ending their relationship with him also.
Late Tuesday night, Brown, who serves as the president of West’s Donda Sports agency, issued a statement via his official Twitter account stating firmly that he would not abandon his friend amid this situation.
“Over the past few weeks the world’s reactionary and selective outrage at comments in the media made by my brother, Ye, have been inflamed and sparked rampant conversation and reflection,” stated Brown. “I too have been able to reflect on statements that I and others in my circle have made that lack clarity in expressing my stance.
“The people and brands that have relentlessly profited from Black ideas and Black culture chose to distance themselves at a very specific time: a time that demonstrated their prioritization of certain groups over others.”
Brown continued, “None of us in this world are free of judgement, yet we live in a time where scrutiny and pessimism have driven our dialogues on cultural issues towards diatribes. Sensationalism and groupthink have forced people not to speak their minds and act out in fear rather than in love.
“For these reasons, I stand in my dedication to freedom of speech, thought, and opinion. I actively seek to coexist in places where I may have a difference of opinion because it’s diversity in thought that pushes humanity further forward. Let me be clear, discrimination of any kind is an injustice to all people, which is exactly why I wish to issue this statement.”
Brown concluded, “As the President of Donda Sports, I remain. I remain true to the mission of Donda and our amazing staff and community. I remain dedicated to helping clarify statements taken out of proportion by the media. I remain committed to bringing new ideas, experiences, and designs to our world.
“I remain in support of the humanity that is Ye.”
As of now, Balenciaga, Adidas, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Footlocker, and Gap have all ended their business relationships with the rapper and mogul. Celtics player Aaron Donald also terminated his contract with Donda Sports and announced it on his Twitter account hours before Brown’s statement was issued.
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