Celtics star Jaylen Brown sticking with Kanye West's Donda Sports despite rapper's antisemitic remarks
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Editor's note: A day after his interview with the Boston Globe, Jaylen Brown announced that he was splitting with Kanye West's Donda Sports
Jaylen Brown is one of two prominent athletes to sign with Kanye West's Donda Sports agency.
On Monday, the Boston Celtics forward told the Boston Globe that he's not parting with the agency after the rapper's recent antisemitic remarks across multiple platforms. He explained his reasoning in an interview with the Globe's Gary Washburn.
"The reason why I signed with Donda Sports, it represented education, it represented activism, disruption," Brown said. "It represented single-parent households, and a lot more people are involved in something like that.
"A lot of people that I work with, work with their families, build love and respect for, spending time in the summer. A lot of people involved. That’s what the organization from my vantage point from Donda Sports represented."
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald also signed with Donda Sports. He hasn't publicly addressed his relationship with the company since West's remarks. Both Brown and Donald signed with Donda to represent their marketing and business interests outside of their respective sports. Each has separate representation to negotiate their team contracts.
Kanye West losing business relationships after remarks
Twitter restricted West's account after he tweeted on Oct. 9 that he would "go death con 3 on Jewish people." His Instagram account was previously locked for separate remarks disparaging Jewish people. Footage of West repeating tropes and conspiracy theories to other media outlets has since surfaced.
Several businesses have cut tied with West in the aftermath of his remarks. Vogue announced that it has no intention of working with West again. His own agency, CAA, split with him on Monday. Balenciaga, his longest partner in the high fashion world, said that they no longer have any relationship with West. LeBron James' "The Shop" declined to publish an episode with West while citing the rapper's "hate speech." Adidas — which produces his Yeezy line of sneakers — officially cut ties with West Tuesday, after mounting pressure to part with him.
Meanwhile, antisemites have rallied around him. Per the Los Angeles Times, a group in Los Angeles gave Nazi salutes behind a banner hanging over the 405 freeway that read “Kanye is right about the Jews.”
Brown told the Globe that he doesn't condone hate speech.
“Like I said, I don’t condone any hurt, harm, or danger toward a group of people,” Brown told the Globe. “I will continue to be a member of my community, uplift my community through my work and what I’ve done throughout my career, and I’m going to continue to do that work.”
He also suggested that West needs help and "unconditional love."
“He’s someone who’s obviously dealing with a lot of adversity that’s in front of him right now and everybody can see it and it’s public," Brown continued. "But a lot of people in the world are dealing with adversity and things that are going on that’s in front of them and they need help. It’s a lot going on right now. ...
“I don’t agree with everything that everybody does. Like I said, I don’t stand for any hurt, harm, or danger toward anybody, but sometimes people need unconditional love and help to get them through the situation.”
