Pepsi wants no part in a major festival after a controversial singer was announced as its headliner. The drink company is pulling out of the Wireless Festival in London after the festival announced Kanye West would be its headliner.
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"Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival," A Pepsi spokesperson told PEOPLE. The company agreed to sponsor the event prior to the announcement. But West performing led to them and PayPal and Diageo parting ways from the festival.
West is controversial at best. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned organizers for bringing West to the city to perform.
"It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless. Despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism," Starmer told The Sun. "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."
Pepsi Pulls Out of Festival
All of this stems from several online rants that West has made about the Jewish people. It's led to the termination of several brand deals and also caused the rapper to be a bit of a pariah in the world of music. Beyond just the online rants, a former employee sued West after he allegedly threatened her for being Jewish and later fired her.
West has blamed his behavior on mental problems, including bipolar disorder. He released an apology letter in which he tried to make amends.
"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people," he previously wrote.
However, for sponsors like Pepsi, the bridge is burnt. Holocaust Education Trust Chief Executive Karen Pollock said the announcement of West as a performer "is causing distress to Britain's Jewish community due to his previous antisemitism and support for Hitler."
"He wrote a song entitled 'Heil Hitler'. I know he has since apologised, but if an artist had singled out any other ethnic or religious group for such horrific abuse you'd expect them never to get a gig ever again, let alone headlining major UK festivals," she said. "Wireless should think again about whether they want to provide a platform for this hateful antisemitism."
