Twitch sensation Kai Cenat is steering clear of the controversy surrounding Kanye West. In a recent livestream, the 23-year-old announced that his previously planned collaboration with the embattled artist has been officially scrapped.
Kai Cenat Addresses the Issue
“I’m gonna go ahead and address the elephant in the room,” Cenat told his 15.8 million followers. Acknowledging the backlash against Kanye West, he continued, “I’ve seen the tweets. I don’t know what’s going on. I think it’s [over]. It’s crazy… It’s just back to back to back. It’s [over], bro.” The decision to cancel the collaboration comes in the wake of West’s latest controversy, which has reignited widespread criticism.
Kanye West Under Fire Again
West’s recent remarks have once again drawn condemnation, with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) publicly calling out his behavior. In a recent X post, the ADL wrote: “Here we go again. Another egregious display of antisemitism, racism, and misogyny from @kanyewest. Just a few years ago, ADL found that 30 antisemitic incidents nationwide were tied to Kanye’s 2022 antisemitic rants.”
The ADL continued, stating: “We condemn this dangerous behavior and need to call it what it is: a flagrant and unequivocal display of hate.” Despite growing public outcry, X owner Elon Musk has yet to respond to the controversy surrounding West’s actions.
David Schwimmer Calls Out Kanye West
West’s inflammatory comments have also drawn a sharp rebuke from Friends actor David Schwimmer. On Saturday (Feb. 8), Schwimmer took to Instagram to voice his outrage.
“This is so 2022,” Schwimmer began in his lengthy post, accompanying a photo of Kanye West against a black background with the words “I’m a Nazi” in bold, red font. The actor also included a screenshot listing some of West’s most controversial remarks.
Schwimmer labeled West a “deranged bigot” who spreads “hate-filled, ignorant bile.” He then called on Elon Musk to take action and stop amplifying West’s voice.
Elon Musk Faces Pressure to Act
“Kanye West has 32.7 million followers on your platform, X,” Schwimmer wrote. “That’s twice as many people as the number of Jews in existence. His sick hate speech results in REAL LIFE violence against Jews.”
Schwimmer did not hold back, continuing: “I don’t know what’s worse—the fact that he identifies as a Nazi (which implies he wants to exterminate ALL marginalized communities, including his own) or the fact that there is not sufficient OUTRAGE to remove and ban him from all social media at this point.”
In his view, Musk’s silence equates to complicity. As the controversy grows, pressure mounts on social media platforms to take definitive action against hate speech.
The Fallout Continues
As the backlash against Kanye West intensifies, it remains to be seen how he and his remaining supporters will respond. Meanwhile, Cenat’s decision to distance himself from the controversy reflects a growing trend of high-profile figures cutting ties with the rapper amid his repeated offensive behavior.
With the ADL, Hollywood figures like Schwimmer, and influential streamers like Cenat speaking out, the conversation around online accountability and the responsibility of platform owners is more critical than ever.