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Kanye West’s Yeezy website has been taken down by the e-commerce platform Shopify, which managed the backend operations. Visitors saw an error message when they accessed yeezy.com, stating the store was unavailable. Previously, the rapper allegedly shared several antisemitic and controversial posts on X, which upset many.
Shopify later confirmed it had taken down the website for violating its platform policies, stating that the merchant did not adhere to authentic commerce practices. The issue arose after Kanye West listed swastika t-shirts for sale on the website.
Shopify was co-founded by Tobias Lutke who also serves as the CEO. He started Shopify in 2004 and has been on its board since then. Lutke became CEO in 2008 after serving as Chief Technology Officer for four years.
According to Forbes, it remains unclear whether any controversial shirts listed on the site were shipped to customers before the removal. President of the e-commerce site Harley Finkelstein was reportedly disappointed over his actions and condemned the incident. Speaking to CNBC Television on February 11, 2025, he said:
“All merchants are responsible following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and we had an entire day to prove otherwise which did not happen. They violated our terms, we removed them from Shopify.”
A former Yeezy employee has filed a lawsuit in California, accusing Kanye West of discrimination and harassment based on gender and religion. The plaintiff, who worked as a marketer in 2024, claims she was subjected to antisemitic comments and inappropriate messages, including explicit content.
Shopify initially allowed Kanye West’s Yeezy website to run for a day
Shopify kept the site online for over a day, allowing sales of controversial T-shirts, which led to backlash on social media and criticism from the Anti-Defamation League. Harley Finkelstein explained that the website was not taken down earlier due to Shopify’s commitment to follow good processes. He said:
“The moment we realized this was not actually a real commerce practice, they weren’t actually engaging in authentic commerce, we pulled it down.”
Following the listing of the product on Yeezy, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) shared an X post condemning the Kanye West’s actions. The post read:
“As if we needed further proof of Kanye’s antisemitism, he chose to put a single item for sale on his website – a t-shirt emblazoned with a swastika. The swastika is the symbol adopted by Hitler as the primary emblem of the Nazis. It galvanized his followers in the 20th century and continues to threaten and instill fear in those targeted by antisemitism and white supremacy.”
Kanye West promoted his website during the Super Bowl by airing a local TV ad, where he appeared to record a 30-second clip on his phone while at the dentist. The ad encouraged viewers to visit his Yeezy website, though it only aired in select markets rather than nationally.
Meanwhile, Kanye West’s X account was restricted after he posted explicit material, with Elon Musk confirming that the content violated platform policies.
Adidas ended its collaboration with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand after he made antisemitic comments. The company stated in October 2022 that it does not tolerate hate speech and that the remarks went against its values of diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect.
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