Actor David Schwimmer took to social media Monday to thank several corporate sponsors who have pulled their support from the U.K.’s Wireless Festival, where Ye, formerly Kanye West, is set to headline for three nights in June. He is asking the remaining sponsors to do the same, insisting that the hip-hop superstar still has not offered a convincing apology for several years’ worth of antisemitic statements.
“It’s great to see companies with moral clarity,” Schwimmer wrote of Pepsi, PayPal and Diageo, three sponsors that have moved to sever ties with Wireless over Ye’s booking. (He did not specifically mention a fourth sponsor that also split from the festival Monday, Rockstar Energy Drinks.) “Unlike Wireless and Festival Republic, they decided not to platform an artist who became one of the most recognizable hate-mongering bigots in the world…”
Schwimmer cited Ye releasing the song “Heil Hitler,” selling a swastika T-shirt and avowing that he was a Nazi as recently as last year, only to be welcomed at the upcoming festival in London, as well as for a pair of star-packed, sold-out shows at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium last week.
He wrote that “about two months ago (Ye) professed to apologize for all that in a paid ad he took out in the Wall Street Journal — perhaps part of a PR scheme to assuage folks right before his long-planned return to the stage. Remember: Ye’s apologized before, only to retract that apology and double down on his virulent hatred of Jewish people.
“This time,” Schwimmer continued, “he explained it was a health condition that had made him specifically target Jews with hate speech and threats of violence. So he’s launching a comeback, having recently played at SoFi Stadium in California (Kroenke family were you aware?) supported by Lauryn Hill, Travis Scott, CeeLo Green and Don Toliver — artists who seem to shrug off his history of rabid antisemitism. Or maybe endorse it? Hard to say, since none of them ever publicly denounced his past remarks.”
Schwimmer expressed skepticism over West’s Wall Street Journal ad, which contains penitent statements that the rapper has not offered in any live interviews or other public appearances. “An apology letter is just that: Words on paper,” wrote the actor. “An advertisement, generating publicity before a concert tour. It does not erase years of abuse. … It’s fine for his famous pals to pat him on the back and say, ‘It’s all good.’ But the community he has harmed most has no reason to trust his apology is authentic.”
Schwimmer summed up his 500-word-plus statement by writing, “I believe in forgiveness, but it takes much more than this,. 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. To do so is to be tacitly complicit in what these companies know to be wrong, unethical and immoral.” And, he added, naming several Wireless sponsors who have so far apparently stayed the course, “I hope Budweiser, Beat Box Beverages, Drip water and Big Green Coach come to the same conclusion.”
The Wireless Festival, which is putting tickets for Ye’s three-night headlining gig on sale this week, is holding firm against the pressure to cancel the rapper, which is coming not just from sponsors but from government officials in the U.K., including the prime minister.
Melvin Benn, who serves as managing director at Festival Republic, the U.K. promoter behind Wireless, issued a statement to Variety on Monday defending Ye based on his own experiences dealing with people who suffer from mental health issues. “I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behaviour that I have had to forgive and move on from,” he wrote. “If I wasn’t before, I have become a person of forgiveness and hope in all aspects of my life, including work.”
He called Ye’s previous declarations about Jews and Hitler “abhorrent,” but that they are “not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature” but only to perform songs that are “enjoyed by millions.” “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world,” he stated, “and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also condemned Ye’s appearance in a statement to the British newspaper the Sun. “It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” he said. “Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
Schwimmer has a history of attempting to hold Ye publicly accountable.
In February 2025, a few days after Ye posted a series of antisemitic tweets on X (including “I’m a Nazi” and “I love Hitler” and an avowal that he was “never apologizing for my Jewish comments”), the “Friends” actor took to his Instagram account to publicly demand that Elon Musk bar him from the app. “We can’t stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate-filled, ignorant bile,” Schwimmer wrote then, “but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk. Kanye West has 32.7 million followers on your platform, X. That’s twice as many people than the number of Jews in existence. His sick hate speech results in REAL LIFE violence against Jews.”
Schwimmer’s full statement, as posted on Instagram:
Thanks Pepsi, PayPal & Diageo.
It’s great to see companies with moral clarity.
These brands have pulled sponsorship of Wireless Festival, which disgraced itself recently by scheduling Ye (formerly Kanye West) to headline.
Unlike Wireless and Festival Republic, they decided not to platform an artist who became one of the most recognizable hate-mongering bigots in the world – while the other orgs seek only to profit from one.
For years, Ye used his considerable celebrity to promote hate and violence against Jews, spreading antisemitic lies and stereotypes to his 33 million followers — more than twice the number of Jewish people alive today.
Less than a year ago Ye released the song “Heil Hitler” (rightly banned from all major streaming platforms), sold swastika T-shirts on his website, claimed he was a Nazi and threatened to kill Jews.
But about two months ago he professed to apologize for all that in a paid ad he took out in the Wall Street Journal — perhaps part of a PR scheme to assuage folks right before his long-planned return to the stage.
Remember: Ye’s apologized before, only to retract that apology and double down on his virulent hatred of Jewish people.
This time, he explained it was a health condition that had made him specifically target Jews with hate speech and threats of violence.
So he’s launching a comeback, having recently played at SoFi Stadium in California (Kroenke family were you aware?) supported by Lauryn Hill, Travis Scott, CeeLo Green and Don Toliver — artists who seem to shrug off his history of rabid antisemitism. Or maybe endorse it? Hard to say, since none of them ever publicly denounced his past remarks.
The thing is, Ye’s words and actions the last few years have caused incalculable, irreparable damage. He has fueled world wide hatred and inspired violence against Jews everywhere, and his erratic behavior has repeatedly shown he can’t be trusted. It’s fine for his famous pals to pat him on the back and say, “It’s all good.” But the community he has harmed most has no reason to trust his apology is authentic.
If he was sincere, he would take action to repair the damage he caused.
He could officially pull the song “Heil Hitler” and explicitly, directly and publicly disavow it.
He could meet with Jewish leaders or artists to have a public conversation about his rehabilitation and to make amends.
He could offer to donate a portion of his hefty Wireless profits to one or more Jewish charitable organizations in the UK – where attacks against Jews, synagogues and Jewish businesses are among the highest ever recorded.
An apology letter is just that: Words on paper. An advertisement, generating publicity before a concert tour. It does not erase years of abuse.
I believe in forgiveness, but it takes much more than this. Then again, I do not profit from his appearing at Wireless.
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.
To do so is to be tacitly complicit in what these companies know to be wrong, unethical and immoral.
I hope Budweiser, Beat Box Beverages, Drip water and Big Green Coach come to the same conclusion.
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