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Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Legend Says It's ‘Shocking' to Watch Kanye West's ‘Descent' into ‘Antisemitism' and ‘Anti-Blackness': ‘It Is Sad to See His Devolution'
John Legend is sharing his thoughts about his former friend and business partner, Kanye West. In a recent sitdown with The Times of London, Legend said it's 'shocking' to see what has become of the once prolific artist and mourned the days of friendship and shared passion he had with West back in the mid-2000s. More from Variety Kanye West Storms Off Piers Morgan Interview After Four Tense Minutes; Rapper Rants About 'Being Attacked by the Banks' and 'My D--' Kanye West Releases Lost Album 'Donda 2' to Streaming Services Kanye West Sued for Copyright Infringement by Singer Who Denied Sample Usage Over His 'Antisemitic, Racist' Remarks 'Back then Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams not only for himself but also for all the people around him,' Legend recalled. 'He had so much optimism, so much creativity. It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now.' West saved Legend's fizzling music career back in 2004 when he signed the Grammy-winng pianist to his label, GOOD Music. As one of the brand's first artists, Legend got to see the rise and fall of West first hand. 'Kanye blew up after producing Jay-Z's album 'The Blueprint' in 2001,' Legend explained. 'Then he experienced a buzz as a solo artist and the whole time I was travelling with him, doing shows with him, getting exposure not only as his singer and keyboard player but also as an artist myself. I had been turned down by labels everywhere. Then 'The College Dropout' sold 400,000 copies in its first week, everyone wanted to know what was happening in our camp, and all those people who turned me down suddenly decided that my music sounded a lot better than it did the first time round.' Despite their falling out in 2022 after West went public with his support of Donald Trump, Legend still did not expect things with West to escalate as far as they have. 'I didn't see a hint of what we're seeing now, his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-blackness, and it is sad to see his devolution.' Legend said. 'I don't think we're qualified to psychoanalyse him, but after his mother passed in 2007 there was definitely a difference. His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.' West was once one of the most celebrated artists in hip-hop, but has lost that status after exhibiting aggressive antisemitic behavior. Back in February, West took out a bizarre advertisement in the Super Bowl for After the ad aired, he overhauled the site and replaced his previous wares with a swastika t-shirt. In the same month, the rapper's X account was suspended after going on an antisemtic tirade, writing things like, 'I'm a Nazi,' and claiming that Hitler was 'so fresh.' Most recently, the artist released a new single called 'Heil Hitler,' with art that resembles a swastika. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kanye West And Bianca Censori Sue Former Dentist Over Alleged Nitrous Oxide Addiction And Malpractice
Kanye West and Bianca Censori are suing his former dentist for alleged malpractice involving powerful drugs. The couple's relationship has weathered recent public scrutiny and intense drama. From whirlwind fashion week appearances to near-nude red carpets and even temporary splits, West and Censori have remained a constant tabloid fixture. Now, they're shifting focus from headlines to a high-stakes legal battle. A formal notice of intent to sue was sent by Golden Law to Dr. Thomas Connelly, outlining serious claims of misconduct during West's time as his patient from 2024 into 2025. According to the letter, Connelly supplied West with nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, and even encouraged unsupervised use of the anesthetic despite visible side effects. The notice also mentions propofol, a powerful sedative, being administered in unsafe conditions. 'Evidence shows that during the time Ye was under your care, you engaged in numerous inappropriate and dangerous practices that were far outside the bounds of any legitimate medical purpose or standard of care,' the letter states per The Hollywood Reporter. 'These actions were not isolated incidents but rather part of a pattern of improper conduct by you from 2024 through 2025 while Ye was your patient.' The letter claims that Connelly sent large nitrous oxide tanks to Kanye West's home, including the one he shared with Censori. These deliveries reportedly came with masks and instructions for self-use. Connelly allegedly ignored signs of harm, including memory lapses, confusion, mood changes, and impaired motor function. These symptoms suggested a decline in West's neurological and behavioral health. 'Ms. Censori, as Ye's spouse, was a witness to and impacted by many of these events,' the letter reads. Some of the alleged incidents were said to have happened inside West and Censori's shared residence. Connelly is also accused of overcharging West for dental services, with bills allegedly reaching $50,000 a month and adding up to hundreds of thousands. The letter claims that Connelly admitted fault in multiple text messages and emails. 'On multiple occasions, you acknowledged in writing that your treatment of Ye was improper,' the lawyers wrote. The dentist reportedly administered propofol to West in non-medical environments, including a hotel in Las Vegas. In one case, he is accused of releasing West without ensuring he was mentally stable. 'Ye suffered extreme mental and physical distress leading to urgent medical care,' the legal notice stated. Amid these allegations, West's public behavior raised eyebrows. At Super Bowl LIX, he ran a Yeezy ad showing himself in a dental chair filming on an iPhone. 'I spent, like, all the money for the commercial on these new teeth,' he said. 'Once again, I had to shoot it on the iPhone. Um… Um… Go to However, the only item available on afterward was a black T-shirt with a red swastika labeled 'HH-01,' widely interpreted as 'Heil Hitler.' This shocked fans and critics alike, leading to renewed concern over his well-being. The ad drew immediate backlash on social media, with many users accusing West of fueling antisemitic sentiment. Others questioned whether the bizarre rollout, combined with his erratic speech, was evidence of a deeper issue. Despite these concerns, the rapper's antics worsened as he went on multiple rants on social media, leaving his fans shocked beyond words. Milo Yiannopoulos, who served briefly as West's publicist, filed an affidavit with the California Dental Board in August 2024. He accused Connelly of exploiting West's impaired state for financial gain and claimed the dentist swapped natural diamonds for cheaper lab-grown ones in West's custom teeth. Yiannopoulos posted a screenshot of a text exchange where Connelly allegedly agreed to deliver nitrous oxide tanks to West's hotel. He wrote on social media that the dentist tried to "diminish Ye's mental faculties" so that he and "his business associates could extract millions of dollars from him." However, a spokesperson for Dr. Connelly denied all allegations. 'Yiannopoulos's memory of events was not only factually incorrect but also intentionally misleading,' they stated, adding that the nitrous tanks were empty upon delivery and that there was no intent to harm Kanye West.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kanye West returns to X but account is flagged for 'sensitive content'
Kanye West has returned to X but his account is still flagged for "sensitive content". The 47-year-old rapper - who appeared to deactivate his own page after a stream anti-Semitic and misogynistic outbursts last weekend - is now back on the social media platform, but the site displays a warning for people who aren't logged in and visit his page. The message reads: "Caution: This profile may include potentially sensitive content. "You're seeing this warning because they post potentially sensitive images or language. Do you still want to view it?" Almost all of his offensive posts are no longer on his feed, with one post from February 10 remaining. The tweet reads: "Since I'm getting kicked off Twitter soon everybody is a Nazi until a real Nazi pulls up." During his latest anti-Semitic outburst on X, formerly Twitter, Kanye included declarations of admiration for Adolf Hitler and self-identified as a Nazi. The rapper – who was previously dumped from his deals with household brand names for similar statements – also messaged: 'I'm never apologising for my Jewish comments.' Before deactivating his account on X, Kanye revealed his swastika T-shirt - which has been available to buy on his store - had been in development for several years, describing it as his 'greatest performance art piece thus far'. As he initially left X, he wrote: 'I'm logging out of Twitter. I appreciate Elon for allowing me to vent. "It has been very cathartic to use the world as a sounding board. It was like an Ayahuasca trip. "Love all of you who gave me your energy and attention. To we connect again. Good afternoon and good night.(sic)" X owner Elon Musk confirmed the star's X account was labeled "NFSW" before the rapper took it down, a decision he revealed in response to someone complaining about Kanye sharing pornography on his page. Elon wrote: "Given what he posted, his account is now classified as NSFW. You should not be seeing that anymore."
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fox TV Condemns ‘Appalling' Kanye West Super Bowl Ad for Swastika Tees: ‘We Regret These Commercials Aired'
Fox Television Stations CEO Jack Abernethy condemned Kanye West's Super Bowl LIX ad that directed viewers to swastika T-shirts in a note to staff on Wednesday. The ad ran in three markets (Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Atlanta) during Super Bowl LIX and encouraged viewers to go to his website, However, the site only sold one item — a T-shirt with a swastika on it, called 'HH-01,' which West was selling for $20. 'The ad, which was presented as a legitimate online apparel site before and during the airing of the Super Bowl, was switched at some point afterwards, and completely outside of our stations control respondents to the commercials were redirected toward the marketing of a wholly appalling product,' Abernethy said in his email. It appears West took pains to deceive both Fox and the local news stations. According to multiple reports, at the time the ad aired, the website had sales listings for multiple items of clothing. However, within an hour of the ad airing, all of those items were removed and replaced with just one option: the Swastika tee. Abernethy continued his statement on the matter and said, 'We regret that these commercials aired in these three markets, and we strongly condemn any form of antisemitism. As you well know, Fox is a strong supporter of such organizations as the 'Foundation to Combat Antisemitism,' the 'United Jewish Appeal Federation, and others through direct support or on-air promotion of their campaigns and we will continue to work with them in combating antisemitism.' Fox received substantial social media backlash and was called out by the The Anti-Defamation League on Monday to condemn the ad. The ADL also created a petition urging others to demand a response from the network. 'At the Super Bowl, hate took a front-row seat. Kanye West promoted an ad with a link to swastika T-shirts, broadcasting it to millions on live TV,' the ADL website statement read. 'Just days earlier, his dangerous rants on X praised Hitler, self-identified as a Nazi, and spread antisemitic vitriol. In 2022, ADL identified 30 incidents of harassment, assault and vandalism linked to Kanye's online outbursts. We refuse to let hate win. Bigotry has consequences. Join ADL in demanding that Fox Sports condemn this ad and never give hate a platform again.' On Tuesday, Shopify shut down the website, but was running for more than 24 hours and allowed customers to purchase the antisemitic merchandise. Shopify shared a statement about its decision: 'All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms, so we removed them from Shopify.' You can read Abernethy's full email to staffers, as first reported by Variety, below:To All FTS Employees: I wanted to take a moment to address a commercial that ran in three of our local television station markets during Super Bowl LIX on Fox. The ad, which was presented as a legitimate online apparel site before and during the airing of the Super Bowl, was switched at some point afterwards, and completely outside of our stations control respondents to the commercials were redirected toward the marketing of a wholly appalling product. We regret that these commercials aired in these three markets, and we strongly condemn any form of antisemitism. As you well know, Fox is a strong supporter of such organizations as the 'Foundation to Combat Antisemitism,' the 'United Jewish Appeal Federation,' and others through direct support or on-air promotion of their campaigns and we will continue to work with them in combating antisemitism. Jack The post Fox TV Condemns 'Appalling' Kanye West Super Bowl Ad for Swastika Tees: 'We Regret These Commercials Aired' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ScarJo Condemns Deepfake of Her Protesting Kanye Ad As 'Misuse' of AI
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Scarlett Johansson is speaking out after someone used her likeness without permission to create an AI-generated video of the actress criticizing Kanye West's antisemitic Super Bowl commercial. The video shows an AI-generated Johansson and several other celebrities—Jerry Seinfeld, Mila Kunis, Jack Black, Drake—and tech founders Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin wearing white T-shirts featuring a middle finger, a Star of David, and the word KANYE. "Enough is enough," the clip ends. "Join the fight against antisemitism." West's Super Bowl commercial directed viewers to the website for his Yeezy clothing brand. But those who visited instead saw only one item: a $20 T-shirt with a Swastika on it. Johansson, who is Jewish, condemned West's commercial but also said there is no acceptable use of someone's likeness without their permission and urged the US government to pass legislation that protects its citizens against deepfakes. Johansson's agent provided her full statement to PCMag under the condition we would run it in its entirety: "It has been brought to my attention by family members and friends, that an AI-generated video featuring my likeness, in response to an anti-Semitic view, has been circulating online and gaining traction. I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality. I have unfortunately been a very public victim of AI, but the truth is that the threat of AI affects each and every one of us. There is a 1,000-foot wave coming regarding AI that several progressive countries, not including the United States, have responded to in a responsible manner. It is terrifying that the US government is paralyzed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of AI. I urge the US government to make the passing of legislation limiting AI use a top priority; it is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large.' The deepfake video was originally posted by X user Ori Bejerano, who called out West for the Super Bowl ad as well as posts on X in which West declared "I am a Nazi," praised Hitler, and spread antisemitic conspiracy theories. It's still on X as of this writing; a Community Note about it being AI-generated was only added to a separate tweet sharing Bejerano's video. This is the second time Johansson has spoken out about the misuse of AI. In May 2024, OpenAI released a demo of its AI-powered "Sky" voice assistant that sounded a lot like the actress. She accused the company of using her voice without permission, revealing that she turned down an offer from CEO Sam Altman to use her voice. OpenAI insists it found another voice actor, but it still disabled the Sky voice. In both instances, there are sexual overtones to the use of Johansson's likeness. In the social media video about West's commercial, she appears in the first frame with tussled hair and a tight-fitting T-shirt. In the case of OpenAI, Altman wanted to use her voice to recreate the movie Her, in which the main character falls in love with Johansson's voice inside a computer. Sexualized AI content has been a particular issue. In July, Meta failed to take down a naked AI photo of a female user in a timely fashion. High school students have also spoken out against the spread of explicit images of them at school, CNN reports. But AI-generated videos come in all shapes and sizes, especially as new tools make them free to produce. After the Kansas City Chiefs lost the Super Bowl, creators spun up humorous videos of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. These videos are legal in the US, although and state lawmakers have introduced bills to go after unauthorized deepfakes. In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom that prevents AI deepfakes from appearing on social media ahead of an election. That prompted a , who argues it would make "parody illegal" on social media. At this week's AI Action Summit in Paris, Vice President JD Vance endorsed an anti-regulation stance to AI development to promote the growth of the industry. 'We believe that excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it's taking off,' Vance says. 'And we'll make every effort to encourage pro-AI policies.'
