David Schwimmer took to social media Monday to praise the companies that pulled their sponsorship at London’s Wireless Festival after Kanye West was revealed as headliner, stating that West still hasn’t properly atoned for his years of antisemitic comments and that his written apology “does not erase years of abuse.”
“Thanks Pepsi, PayPal & Diageo. It’s great to see companies with moral clarity,” the Friends star wrote on Instagram on Monday. “Unlike Wireless and Festival Republic, they decided not to platform an artist who became one of the most recognizable hate-mongering bigots in the world — while the other orgs seek only to profit from one.”
Sponsors started pulling their sponsorships Sunday after Wireless promoter Festival Republic had announced West’s booking. Festival exectutive Melvin Benn issued an extensive statement Monday defending the decision to book West, stating fans should “offer some forgiveness and hope.”
Schwimmer referenced West’s move to release the song “Heil Hitler” and sell shirts with swastikas on them last year and called West’s Wall Street Journal apology advertisement “perhaps part of a PR scheme to assuage folks right before his long-planned return to the stage.”
“Remember: Ye’s apologized before, only to retract that apology and double down on his virulent hatred of Jewish people,” Schwimmer said.
Schwimmer’s statement comes as West is in the midst of a career comeback that seemed improbable as recently as last year after “Heil Hitler” dropped. Less than a year later, after his apology ad, it was revealed that indie music company Gamma was backing West for his latest album Bully, which debuted at Number Two on Billboard’s album chart this week. Meanwhile, he played two nearly sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium last week, drawing tens of thousands of fans at each show.
Schwimmer questioned why the likes of Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Lauryn Hill supported West at his shows last week, calling them “artists who seem to shrug off his history of rabid antisemitism. Or maybe endorse it? Hard to say, since none of them ever publicly denounced his past remarks.”
Schwimmer argued West needs to take further action to prove his apology is genuine, suggesting West donate some of his Wireless Festival earnings to Jewish organizations in the U.K. and/or meet with Jewish leaders and artists to have constructive dialog on his statements.
“I believe in forgiveness, but it takes much more than this. Then again, I do not profit from his appearing at Wireless,” Schwimmer wrote. “Until Ye demonstrates a commitment to building back trust — not only with the Jewish community, but with ALL the fans he left heartbroken and disappointed by his hateful rhetoric the last several years — he should not be granted a platform to perform. To do so is to be tacitly complicit in what these companies know to be wrong, unethical and immoral.”
Read Schwimmer’s full statement below:
Thanks Pepsi, PayPal & Diageo.
It’s great to see companies with moral clarity.
These brands have pulled sponsorship of Wireless Festival, which disgraced itself recently by scheduling Ye (formerly Kanye West) to headline.
Unlike Wireless and Festival Republic, they decided not to platform an artist who became one of the most recognizable hate-mongering bigots in the world — while the other orgs seek only to profit from one.
For years, Ye used his considerable celebrity to promote hate and violence against Jews, spreading antisemitic lies and stereotypes to his 33 million followers — more than twice the number of Jewish people alive today.
Less than a year ago Ye released the song “Heil Hitler” (rightly banned from all major streaming platforms), sold swastika T-shirts on his website, claimed he was a Nazi and threatened to kill Jews.
But about two months ago he professed to apologize for all that in a paid Ad he took out in the Wall Street Journal — perhaps part of a PR scheme to assuage folks right before his long-planned return to the stage.
Remember: Ye’s apologized before, only to retract that apology and double down on his virulent hatred of Jewish people.
This time, he explained it was a health condition that had made him specifically target Jews with hate speech and threats of violence.
So he’s launching a comeback, having recently played at SoFi Stadium in California (Kroenke family were you aware?) supported by Lauryn Hill, Travis Scott, CeeLo Green and Don Toliver — artists who seem to shrug off his history of rabid antisemitism. Or maybe endorse it? Hard to say, since none of them ever publicly denounced his past remarks.
The thing is, Ye’s words and actions the last few years have caused incalculable, irreparable damage. He has fueled world wide hatred and inspired violence against Jews everywhere, and his erratic behavior has repeatedly shown he can’t be trusted. It’s fine for his famous pals to pat him on the back and say, “It’s all good.” But the community he has harmed most has no reason to trust his apology is authentic.
If he was sincere, he would take action to repair the damage he caused.
He could officially pull the song “Heil Hitler” and explicitly, directly and publicly disavow it.
He could meet with Jewish leaders or artists to have a public conversation about his rehabilitation and to make amends.
He could offer to donate a portion of his hefty Wireless profits to one or more Jewish charitable organizations in the UK — where attacks against Jews, synagogues and Jewish businesses are among the highest ever recorded.
An apology letter is just that: Words on paper. An advertisement, generating publicity before a concert tour. It does not erase years of abuse.
I believe in forgiveness, but it takes much more than this. Then again, I do not profit from his appearing at Wireless.
Until Ye demonstrates a commitment to building back trust — not only with the Jewish community, but with ALL the fans he left heartbroken and disappointed by his hateful rhetoric the last several years — he should not be granted a platform to perform.
To do so is to be tacitly complicit in what these companies know to be wrong, unethical and immoral.
I hope Budweiser, Beat Box Beverages, Drip water and Big Green Coach come to the same conclusion.
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