Ye’s Yeezy Website Shut Down by Shopify Following Controversial Swastika T-shirt Sale
Ye’s Yeezy website has been taken down following a wave of backlash after the sale of a T-shirt featuring a swastika symbol. The controversial move has led to Ye’s website being removed from Shopify, a platform the rapper used to process sales. In a statement to Variety on Tuesday, Feb. 11, a Shopify representative confirmed that Ye’s store breached its terms of service, stating, “All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms, so we removed them from Shopify.” As of now, an error message appears on the site where Yeezy.com once stood.
Ye’s Super Bowl Ad and Controversial Social Media Tirade
Just before his website was pulled, Ye funded a Super Bowl ad for Yeezy, promoting the brand in an unconventional manner. The commercial, filmed on an iPhone from a dentist’s chair, aired on three Fox stations, including KTTV Los Angeles. In the ad, Ye humorously acknowledged spending his budget on diamond grills instead of a high-quality production, urging viewers to visit Yeezy.com while showing off his new teeth.
Over the weekend, Ye’s controversial behavior escalated as he unleashed a series of inflammatory posts on his X account (formerly Twitter). The posts, filled with antisemitic, misogynistic, and homophobic rhetoric, included comments in support of Diddy’s release and a disturbing glorification of Hitler. The backlash was swift, with public figures like David Schwimmer and Charlie Puth condemning Ye’s actions. On Instagram, Puth urged Ye to stop spreading hate, writing, “@ye The message you are sending out to the world is incredibly dangerous. Please man, I beg you to stop. You are selling a T-shirt with a Swastika on it, and MILLIONS of people are influenced by you. Please I BEG you to stop, PLEASE.”
The Aftermath of Ye’s Actions
In response to Ye’s harmful rhetoric, organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have condemned his actions, calling for accountability. Ye’s abrupt departure from social media and the shutdown of his Yeezy site signal the growing consequences of his controversial behavior and statements.