Kanye West has again sparked controversy, being photographed wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt at his recent Yeezy SZN 9 fashion show in Paris on Monday, 3rd October. West was seen wearing the shirt before models took to the runway, most notably during a speech that saw him proclaim, “I am Ye, and everyone here knows that I am the leader.”
Images of the live-streamed event show West wearing the black shirt with white text alongside US conservative commentator Candace Owens, who was dressed in an inverted version of the shirt. According to reports of the event, a number of models at West’s fashion show were also wearing the divisive garment, which reportedly featured an image of John Paul II on the front, and the controversial slogan on the back.
Kanye West faces backlash for wearing White Lives Matter shirt
Kanye West & Candace Owens wearing White Lives Matter shirts‼️ pic.twitter.com/jCriRW2wbp
— RapTV (@Rap) October 3, 2022
In recent years, the slogan “White Lives Matter” has been used in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, with the US Anti-Defamation League labelling it a “white supremacist phrase.”
West has previously received backlash for his comments regarding race and Black Americans. In addition to his highly-publicised support of Donald Trump, West appeared at the TMZ offices in 2018 and remarked that slavery “sounds like a choice”. In 2020 he was criticised for his offensive comments regarding US abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman.
Further Reading
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