Hollywood talent agency CAA cuts ties with Kanye West after antisemitic tirade
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A talent agency has severed ties with Kanye West because of a “disturbing and extremely offensive” Instagram post in which he called Jewish people “wack jobs.”
The CAA agency in Hollywood revoked a contract with West, the hip-hop star, for a range of reasons, including his “anti-Semitic, dehumanizing and discriminatory” comments in March about some African-Americans.
“We believe that these comments are particularly inappropriate given the fact that Mr. West is an influential voice in hip-hop circles and represents the cultural views and diversity that is central to CAA’s mission,” the agency said.
“We recognize the deep-seated discomfort that many in our community feel with these types of comments and are deeply concerned that they will cause further harm.”
West’s remarks about African-Americans and Jews drew particular ire in light of the recent violence in Charlottesville, Va., against people of color. The rapper said he was in California to perform a concert for the victims.
West later wrote on Instagram that he was “born with a silver spoon in my mouth as a n****r, but I could not give his n**** a gift his ass wouldn’t take.”
“I grew up as an embarrassment and the punchline to a joke,” he wrote on Instagram Stories. “I’m not the first nor will I be the last to do things that make it impossible to live. No one was harmed in my home, but I’m sorry if I made anyone feel inferior… I hate n****rs. Never forget that.”
“It was clear from the beginning we had a problem,” the CAA spokeswoman said.
The agency said that it believed, along with many others, that his comments had been “grossly offensive.”
West later apologized, on his now-private Twitter account.
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