Kanye West is no longer a client at CAA, Variety has confirmed.
In addition, a completed documentary about West will be shelved in light of his recent antisemitic comments, MRC studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley announced in a memo on Monday.
“This morning, after discussion with our filmmakers and distribution partners, we made the decision not to proceed with any distribution for our recently completed documentary about Kanye West. We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” they wrote. “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3,000 years — the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.”
They added: “The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising. What is new and sad, is the fear Jews have about speaking out in their own defense.”
In recent weeks, West has made controversial remarks about Jewish people, which led to his Twitter and Instagram accounts being restricted. On Sunday, antisemitic demonstrators gathered on a 405 Freeway overpass in Los Angeles and hung banners praising West.
The news of CAA dropping West and the cancellation of his documentary comes after UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer sent a company-wide memo denouncing antisemitism and calling for a boycott of West on Sunday night. West was briefly a UTA client, but moved back to CAA after a year.
“Regrettably, antisemitism, racism and many forms of hate and intolerance are part of the fabric of society. Generally, they live as a plague eroding the health of communities and are combatted by understanding, tolerance and the general goodness of most people,” Zimmer wrote. “But throughout history some have used their public platform to spew the plague out loud and spread the contagion to dangerous effect. Kanye is the latest to do so, and we’re seeing how his words embolden others to amplify their vile beliefs. I’ve also seen copies of horribly antisemitic flyers left this weekend on the doorsteps of homes in LA neighborhoods, showing that the 405 banners are not the end of it.”
CAA Drops Kanye West as a Client, MRC Scraps Completed Documentary - Variety
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