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Kanye West—also known as Ye—has been at the center of controversies spanning music, politics, fashion and public speech. This list ranks 15 episodes by a mix of public reach, documented backlash or harm, and lasting cultural or professional consequences. It is an editorial judgment, not a definitive consensus ranking; several entries are closely related but involve distinct acts or consequences.
What are Kanye West’s biggest controversies?
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The 2009 interruption of Taylor Swift at the VMAs
West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. The incident became a defining public moment and the starting point for a dispute that resurfaced years later. TIME’s 2016 chronology identifies the VMAs interruption as the beginning of the feud.
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The dispute over Swift’s approval of “Famous”
In 2016, West released “Famous,” whose lyrics referred to Swift. West said she had approved the lyric; Swift’s representative disputed that account, saying Swift had not been told the actual wording and objected to its misogynistic message. Those competing accounts are central to the controversy and should not be collapsed into a settled claim about what Swift agreed to. TIME documented the dispute in its 2016 chronology.
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The release of footage of the call
Later in 2016, Kim Kardashian West released footage of a call between West and Swift, intensifying the public argument over the “Famous” lyric. TIME covered the release and ensuing backlash. A short clip is not, by itself, a complete record of every part of the conversation or proof that resolves every disputed detail.
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The nude wax-figure video for “Famous”
West’s 2016 video for “Famous” depicted nude wax figures of celebrities, including Swift. The imagery provoked a separate privacy and consent controversy, although it was closely connected to the lyric dispute. TIME’s chronology described the video and its celebrity figures.
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The “slavery was a choice” remark
In 2018, West said that “slavery was a choice,” drawing widespread criticism. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in its overview updated May 8, 2025, records the remark and the backlash. The statement’s impact came from its dismissal of the coercion and violence inherent in enslavement, not merely from its shock value.
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The call to abolish the 13th Amendment
Also in 2018, West called for the abolition of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery except as punishment for a crime. The ADL records criticism of that call. It is distinct from the “slavery was a choice” remark: one was a statement about slavery, the other a demand concerning a constitutional amendment.
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The “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week
In 2022, West wore a shirt bearing the slogan “White Lives Matter” at Paris Fashion Week. The ADL describes the slogan as white supremacist; TIME’s coverage records condemnation from the fashion industry. Attribution matters here: the classification is the ADL’s, while the public controversy centered on West’s decision to display the slogan.
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Antisemitic claims in interviews and online
In October 2022, West made antisemitic remarks in interviews and on social media, including a post threatening to go “death con 3” on Jewish people. The ADL’s overview documents the statements and their antisemitic character; TIME reported the growing pressure on companies associated with him. The significance was not a single provocative post, but the repeated use of antisemitic claims across platforms.
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The false claim about George Floyd’s death
West repeated a false claim on the podcast Drink Champs that George Floyd died from fentanyl. The ADL calls the claim debunked, and TIME also described it as false. Floyd was killed by a police officer; repeating the fentanyl claim misrepresented the circumstances of his death.
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Online attacks involving Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson
In 2022, West posted about Kim Kardashian and her then-partner Pete Davidson, with some posts targeting Davidson and calls directed at fans. TIME’s 2022 overview describes the online harassment. The episode widened the controversy from public statements about celebrities to the treatment of people involved in West’s personal life.
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Adidas ends its Yeezy partnership
On October 25, 2022, adidas announced that it was ending its partnership with Ye immediately, stopping production of Yeezy-branded products and payments to him and his companies. The company said it had reviewed his comments and actions, adding: “adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.” It called the comments and actions “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.”
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.The financial figures describe different things. Adidas forecast a short-term negative impact of up to €250 million on its 2022 net income from ending the partnership, with fourth-quarter seasonality part of the estimate. In 2023, the Associated Press reported that adidas estimated its Yeezy inventory was worth €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) when the partnership ended. The inventory valuation is not the same as the forecast net-income impact.
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The InfoWars appearance
In 2022, West appeared on the far-right conspiracy show InfoWars. The ADL documents the appearance as part of the escalation of his antisemitic rhetoric. Its significance lay in taking those remarks into a highly visible interview setting rather than limiting them to posts or passing comments.
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Praise of Hitler
During the InfoWars appearance, West praised Adolf Hitler. The ADL records the remarks in its account of his antisemitic statements. This was a further escalation from the earlier antisemitic claims: it explicitly praised the Nazi leader responsible for the Holocaust.
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Pro-Nazi statements and material in 2025
The ADL’s overview, updated May 8, 2025, documents further pro-Nazi and antisemitic statements by West in 2025, as well as a song featuring pro-Nazi material. This later activity means the controversy did not end with the 2022 business fallout. The ADL is an advocacy organization; its overview is useful for chronology, while its characterizations should be understood as its own.
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The reported 2026 UK entry decision and Wireless cancellation
A 2026 report by LBC says a UK entry decision involving West preceded the cancellation of Wireless Festival. That report establishes the sequence it describes, but the available account here does not establish the official legal grounds for the decision. The cancellation belongs in this list as a reported professional consequence, not as proof of a particular legal rationale.
Why these controversies had different kinds of consequences
The incidents above did not all carry the same weight or produce the same outcome. The Swift dispute became a recurring point of reference in pop culture; the 2018 remarks drew criticism for their treatment of slavery and constitutional history; and the 2022 antisemitic statements prompted a major corporate response. Adidas’s decision was its own stated response to West’s conduct, not an independent finding about every allegation or controversy surrounding him.
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