LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Boston Celtics ace Jaylen Brown and Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald severed their ties with Kanye West on Tuesday over the rapper’s anti-Semitic remarks.
Brown and Donald were two of the highest profile athletes to sign with West’s Donda Sports marketing agency this year.
However, both men said they had left the group, citing West’s recent anti-Semitic comments that have also prompted a wave of sponsors and fashion brands to ditch the rapper.
Donald said in a joint statement with his wife, Erica, that West’s comments were “irresponsible and go against everything we believe in as a family.”
“The recent comments and displays of hate and antisemitism are the exact opposite of how we choose to live our lives and raise our children,” the Donalds said.
“As parents and members of society, we felt a responsibility to send a clear message that hateful words and actions have consequences and that we must do better as human beings.”
Celtics star Brown, who had been criticized for comments that stopped short of outright condemnation of West, meanwhile, said he was terminating his relationship with Donda after reflecting further.
“I’ve been able to reflect and better understand how my previous statements lack clarity in expressing my stance against recent insensitive public remarks and actions,” Brown wrote on Twitter.
“For that, I apologize. I have always and will always continue to stand strongly against antisemitism, hate speech, misrepresentation, and oppressive rhetoric of any kind.”
