The fallout from rapper Ye's antisemitic comments continues to intensify, with his attorney now dropping him amid his refusal to retract any of this statements.
Camille Vasquez, the attorney who represented actor Johnny Depp in his recent defamation trial with former wife Amber Heard, was only hired by Ye just last Friday to represent him in his steadily brewing public relations and business messes.
Her services were reportedly contingent upon Ye recanting on his repeated antisemitic media diatribes in recent weeks.
\u201cJohnny Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez has dropped Kanye West as client, just days after being hired: https://t.co/my0td3w74T\u201d— CONSEQUENCE (@CONSEQUENCE) 1666634920
Instead, Ye spent the weekend doubling down on his antisemitic statements, so Vasquez pulled out of representing him.
Her firm, Brown Rudnick, reportedly attempted to continue working with Ye without Vasquez's involvement, again on the condition that he retract his statements. Ye reportedly responded by firing the firm altogether.
Ye is of course at the center of an intensifying firestorm over a series of virulently antisemitic and conspiracy theory-laden social media posts and media comments that included threats of violence against Jewish people.
In the midst of that furor, Ye also made the false claim that George Floyd's death was the result of a fentanyl overdose rather than having been murdered by Minneapolis police in 2020.
Floyd's family is suing Ye and his various business partners for $250 million for "harassment, misappropriation, defamation and infliction of emotional distress."
And that's only the beginning of Ye's woes. Balenciaga, Chase Bank and Gap have ended their business relationships with the rapper over his comments, his record deal with Def Jam has been canceled, and he has been dropped by his talent agency, CAA, one of the most powerful agencies in Hollywood.
The lone holdout is athletic apparel brand Adidas, who have yet to cancel their deals with Ye, instead placing them "under review" according to a statement earlier this month.
And Ye's words seem to be having real-world impact. Over the weekend, photos went viral from a protest on a freeway overpass in Los Angeles at which attendees gave one-armed Nazi salutes while carrying banners reading "Kanye is right about the Jews."
\u201cIn LA!!! An antisemitic and white supremacist group unfurled a banner above a busy Los Angeles freeway on Saturday reading \u201cKanye is right about the Jews\u201d following the rapper\u2019s widely-condemned antisemitic remarks. Repugnant!! https://t.co/8rmLYxZc7G\u201d— Randi Weingarten \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udfff\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83c\udf93 (@Randi Weingarten \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udfff\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83c\udf93) 1666558142
On Twitter, many applauded Vasquez for severing ties with Ye while those on the right continue to embrace him.
\u201c@PopCrave @TMZ imagine a lawyer who represented an abuser not even wanting to represent you\u201d— Pop Crave (@Pop Crave) 1666383916
\u201c@thedailybeast I figured she'd dump him, but this might set a land speed record.\u201d— The Daily Beast (@The Daily Beast) 1666645458
\u201c@PopCrave @TMZ exactly it\u2019s over for him\u201d— Pop Crave (@Pop Crave) 1666383916
\u201cGOOD. https://t.co/HrDPNPs9Ea\u201d— Morgan Tremaine (@Morgan Tremaine) 1666639467
\u201c@PopBase queen behavior\u201d— Pop Base (@Pop Base) 1666629576
\u201c\ud83d\udd35\ud83d\udce2"Camille Vasquez dropped Kanye West after he refused to retract his hateful and anti-Semitic words."\n\nCamille refused to work with him despite the legal firm's attempt, she stood her ground, gave an ultimatum and walked out of this mess. Let him sink. https://t.co/1Vv6YoMDx2\u201d— Sienna (@Sienna) 1666633108
Though some wondered why she would agree to represent him in the first place.
\u201c@PopCrave @TMZ Questionable that she would even work him after 1st remark\u201d— Pop Crave (@Pop Crave) 1666383916
\u201c@PopBase why was she ever working with him eye\u201d— Pop Base (@Pop Base) 1666629576
\u201c@PopBase Please. She knew exactly who he was and only dropped him when brands did\u201d— Pop Base (@Pop Base) 1666629576
\u201c@MorganTremaine What was that about anyway? Why would that firm even take his call these days? He needs help from a Dr not a lawyer.\u201d— Morgan Tremaine (@Morgan Tremaine) 1666639467
\u201cCamille Vasquez has the nerves, she must remove Kanye West from her long list of abusive clients. \n\nThe fact that she had agreed to defend him despite his statements against black people and his anti-Semitic remarks shows that that woman has no transgressive limits.\u201d— CoraMel (@CoraMel) 1666638939
Ye's comments have also inspired a chorus of public statements denouncing his comments. Several Hollywood heavyweights, including legendary agent Ari Emanuel, have called for a Hollywood boycott of Ye, while both the White House and Ye's ex-wife Kim Kardashian issued statements denouncing antisemitism without actually naming the rapper.
Johnny Depp's Lawyer Drops Ye As A Client Just Days After Taking Him On To Handle Controversy
Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez dropped Ye as a client after he refused to retract his antisemitic comments.