Rapper Kanye West stirred controversy for wearing a black Ku Klux Klan outfit during an interview.
During the conversation, which was released on Rumble by internet personality DJ Akademiks, West, 47, made inflammatory comments about other individuals in the music industry while wearing the black leather garment with a pointed hood.
West said that he had the outfit specially designed, along with a matching white version, the Independent reported. When questioned about whether he had worn the outfit in public, West admitted he considered wearing it the previous day but hesitated, fearing that people would "put me in a hospital for my outfit."
The interview came after West appeared in a video wearing a swastika necklace while posing alongside notorious white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
"Yo," West says in the now-deleted video, according to the Independent. "You know I'm here with my white supremacist homeboy Nick. We're back."
West made headlines last month with a controversial 60-second Super Bowl ad directing viewers to his website to purchase T-shirts featuring a swastika. Priced at $20, the shirts were listed on yeezy.com, but the site later displayed a message indicating the store was "unavailable."
West sparked further outrage this month by sharing an Instagram post depicting a person in a white Ku Klux Klan outfit, labeling it as the "outfit of the day." The post was subsequently removed for violating the platform's community guidelines, the Independent reported.
West's latest controversial move follows a series of incidents stemming from his antisemitic remarks.
In 2022, he faced widespread backlash after making several controversial statements, including a tweet declaring he was going "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE" and accusing them of trying to "blackball anyone" who opposed their agenda. The remarks drew condemnation from various communities and organizations, the Independent reported.
During a subsequent appearance on Alex Jones' show "Infowars," West sparked further outrage by saying he "liked Hitler." He added, "We've got to stop dissing the Nazis all the time."
Sportswear giant Adidas severed its partnership with West, a move that instantly stripped him of his billionaire status.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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