Skechers escorts Kanye West off its property after he turns up uninvited – as Madame Tussauds removes waxwork
Skechers escorted Kanye West off its premises in Los Angeles after he “showed up unannounced and uninvited” – with Madame Tussauds removing its waxwork of the controversial rapper from public view.
An increasing number of companies are distancing themselves from the award-winning musician – who has legally changed his name to Ye – after he made antisemitic remarks.
In a statement, the US footwear company said West had turned up at one of its corporate offices and then engaged in “unauthorised filming”.
Executives ejected him from the building after a “brief conversation”, and a statement added: “Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West.
“We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.”
It comes days after adidas ended its lucrative partnership with West – and announced that production of the popular Yeezy line would stop immediately.
Meanwhile, a Madame Tussauds spokesperson said: “Ye’s figure has been retired from the attraction floor to our archive.
“Each profile earns their place at Madame Tussauds London and we listen to our guests and the public on who they expect to see at the attraction.”
The figurine was originally launched in the museum in 2015 alongside a waxwork of his then wife Kim Kardashian.
In the past few days, Kardashian and members of her family have called for an end to the “terrible violence and hateful rhetoric” towards the Jewish community.
Companies are distancing themselves from West because of antisemitic remarks
Explainer: What rapper said and how people have reacted
West had been ranked at 1,513 on the Forbes rich list earlier this year and was valued at £1.7bn because of his fashion brands and deal with adidas.
But the sportswear brand’s decision to terminate the partnership means West is no longer a billionaire, with his net worth dwindling to £344m.
Clothing company Gap Inc, which terminated its tie-up with West in September, is also taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap products from its stores.
Talent agency CAA and the Balenciaga fashion house have also cut ties with the 45-year-old – and a completed documentary about West has been shelved.
Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek ha ds West’s comments were “awful” but that his music would stay on the platform.
Taylor Swift has revealed the release date for her new album, The Life Of A Showgirl.
The pop megastar announced her 12th studio album earlier this week but didn’t give many details.
Now, in social media posts and an appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s sports podcast, Swift revealed just what fans can expect from the new album.
Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce on the New Heights podcast. Pic: New Heights
The Life of Showgirl, written during the European leg of her record-breaking Eras tour, will be released on 3 October.
It consists of 12 songs, including the title track that features pop star Sabrina Carpenter.
The full track list is:
1. The Fate Of Ophelia
2. Elizabeth Taylor
3. Opalite
4. Father Figure
5. Eldest Daughter
6. Ruin The Friendship
7. Actually Romantic
8. Wi$h Li$t
9. Wood
10. Cancelled!
11. Honey
12. The Life Of A Showgirl (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)
Long-time collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, two Swedish producers who worked with Swift on some of her biggest hits, joined the pop star for this album.
Within four hours of posting the full podcast episode on YouTube, it had already gathered 4.7m views.
The cover of Taylor Swift’s newly announced album. Pic: Republic Records
The back cover of Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl. Pic: Republic Records
‘The hardest-working star in pop’
The album follows last year’s The Tortured Poets Department, which was released during the Eras tour.
That tour, with shows on five continents and in 51 cities, raked in more than $2.2bn (£1.62bn) and was the highest-grossing tour of all time.
Read more about Taylor Swift:
Swift’s final London show was the ‘best’
The impact of the ‘excruciating’ Era’s tour
Her new chart record
“This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” Swift said during her podcast appearance.
Sky News culture and entertainment reporter Gemma Peplow said after her globe-trotting tour and a swathe of re-releases over recent years, the new album cemented Swift’s reputation “as the hardest-working star in pop”.
Disgraced US film producer Harvey Weinstein is to be tried for a third time in a sexual assault case.
A jury in New York could not reach a verdict in June against the 73-year-old who was accused of raping actress Jessica Mann, and a mistrial was declared.
Judge Curtis Farber has said he wants the new trial to happen before the end of this year.
The same jury found Weinstein guilty in June of sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and not guilty of assaulting Polish former runway model Kaja Sokola the same year.
Weinstein will be sentenced for the guilty verdict in Ms Haley’s case on 30 September.
He denied all of the charges. Throughout the retrial, his lawyers insisted the sexual encounters with his three accusers were “transactional” and “consensual,” and labelled the women as opportunists.
Weinstein was originally convicted of rape and criminal sexual act by the same court in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison for the crimes.
Last year, however, New York’s highest court overturned the conviction, prompting Weinstein’s retrial this summer.
Weinstein was once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood – the co-founder of film and television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company, who produced films such as the Oscar-winning Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and The Crying Game.
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In 2017, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him propelled the #MeToo movement.
Some of those accusations later led to criminal charges and his convictions in New York and California.
Before the retrial, Weinstein was also serving a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty of rape in California in December 2022. He has also denied this charge.
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