Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown have left Kanye West’s agency Donda Sports after the rapper’s antisemitic outbursts.
Donda Sports is a brand management and marketing agency, and had no involvement in negotiating the contracts of Donald, Brown or other athletes. Donda Sports was founded by Ye, the mogul formerly known as Kanye West.
Donald and Brown had signed with Donda Sports earlier this year to represent interests they had outside their respective sports.
On Tuesday, Donald and his wife Erica wrote in a statement on Twitter, “We do not feel our beliefs, voices and actions belong anywhere near a space that misrepresents and oppresses people of any background, ethnicity or race,” explaining their decision to drop Donda Sports.
Brown also released a statement on Twitter explaining his decision to drop Donda Sports Tuesday, saying he will “continue to stand strongly against any antisemitism, hate speech, misrepresentation and oppressive rhetoric of any kind.”
Donda Sports has not lost all of its clientele, however.
Embattled former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, himself no stranger to controversy, was named president of Donda Sports in February, according to The Associated Press. He has announced he will stay on in that position.
“Over the past few weeks the world’s reactionary and selective outrage at comments in the media made by my brother, Ye, have inflamed and sparked rampant conversation and reflection … I stand by my dedication to freedom of speech, thought and opinion,” the receiver wrote in a tweeted statement.
Ye initially drew wide condemnation for an Oct. 9 tweet in which he said he would be going “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” which ended up getting him banned from Twitter and Instagram.
Ye has since been dropped by his own representation at CAA and by fashion business partners Balenciaga, Adidas and Gap.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.