The Wireless Festival organizer’s managing director asked that people offer “forgiveness and hope” to Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after the rapper’s headlining bill at the major annual London music fest prompted primary co-sponsor Pepsi and others to withdraw their longstanding support.
Diageo, owner of Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, Rockstar and PayPal also pulled out of the festival on Sunday and Monday.
“Having had a person in my life for the last 15 years who suffers from mental illness, I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behaviour that I have had to forgive and move on from,” wrote Melvin Benn, managing director of U.K. promoter Festival Republic, in a Monday statement to Variety. “If I wasn’t before, I have become a person of forgiveness and hope in all aspects of my life, including work.”
Benn noted that he is Jewish and lived in a kibbutz that was attacked on October 7th, and acknowledged Ye’s previous statements about Jews and Nazis, calling the sentiments “abhorrent.” The Wireless Festival still lists Ye as the headliner, and the since-exited brands were no longer featured on its website and Instagram page.
“We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions,” Benn said.
Ye acknowledged his statements and strange behavior in a January apology in the Wall Street Journal in January, writing, “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite” and “I love Jewish people.” He has since kicked off a comeback tour in the U.S., having just played two sold-out nights at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The apology and run of shows came less than a year since he released the song “Heil Hitler,” though he recently re-released it as “Hallelujah,” now with Christian-themed lyrics. He did not acknowledge his past behavior at the SoFi shows, his first major solo performances in more than five years.
