David Schwimmer on Monday applauded sponsors who backed out of the U.K.’s Wireless Festival after Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, was announced as a headlining act in June. (Organizers have since canceled the fest altogether following public backlash.)
The “Friends” actor, who is Jewish and spoke out against Ye’s antisemitic posting spree where he self-identified as a Nazi last year, addressed the rapper’s attempt to return to the fest circuit as sponsors pulled out of the event in the lead-up to the U.K. government barring him from traveling there and, subsequently, the fest’s cancellation on Tuesday.
“Until Ye demonstrates a commitment to building back trust — not only with the Jewish community, but with ALL the fans he left heartbroken and disappointed by his hateful rhetoric the last several years — he should not be granted a platform to perform,” Schwimmer wrote in a lengthy essay on Instagram.
The actor accused Ye of becoming “one of the most recognizable hate-mongering bigots in the world” who has used his celebrity status to promote hate against Jewish people.
The actor’s post arrives as Ye claims to want to put his days of praising Hitler on social media — or in song — behind him this year as he promotes his latest album, “Bully,” which has debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
