Kanye West's 'The Shop' episode pulled after he used 'more hate speech,' producers say
An episode of an online talk show featuring Ye will not be aired after the rapper formerly known as Kanye West used "hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes" during the taping, the show's producers said late Tuesday.
The decision to pull the episode of “The Shop” comes after Ye's Twitter account was locked and his Instagram account was restricted after he made antisemitic comments on both platforms.
SpringHill Company CEO Maverick Carter, who produces "The Shop" as part of the Uninterrupted channel on YouTube alongside NBA superstar LeBron James, said Ye had been booked for the episode weeks ago.
"And after talking to Kanye directly the day before we taped, I believed he was capable of a respectful discussion and he was ready to address all his recent comments," Carter said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, he used The Shop to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes," he said.
After the taping, Carter said, producers made the decision not to air the episode or "any of Kanye's remarks."
NBC News has not heard or seen the episode and cannot confirm this characterization of Ye’s comments.
"While The Shop embraces thoughtful discourse and differing opinions, we have zero tolerance for hate speech of any kind and will never allow our channels to be used to promote hate," he said.
"I take full responsibility for believing Kanye wanted a different conversation and apologize to our guests and crew. Hate speech should never have an audience,” Carter added. James said he was not in the taping or on the set when the incident unfolded.
A publicist for Ye did not immediately respond to an overnight request for comment from NBC News. YouTube also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Carter’s digital media company, Uninterrupted, said it had no further comment beyond his statement.
On Sunday, Twitter said it had locked Ye out of his account due to a violation of its policies after he published an antisemitic post.
Twitter's decision to lock his account came shortly after the rapper's Instagram account was restricted after he posted a screenshot of a text exchange he said he had with music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs with the caption: "Jesus is a Jew."
The message from Ye appeared to show him saying Combs was controlled by Jewish people, a reference to an antisemitic conspiracy theory. The post has since been deleted from Ye’s account.
Ye had also appeared in a Fox News interview Thursday with Tucker Carlson, during which he echoed antisemitic conspiracy theories.
At a fashion show last week, Ye was also seen wearing a T-shirt reading "White Lives Matter," a phrase often used to mock the Black Lives Matter movement. The Anti-Defamation League identifies “White Lives Matter” as a “white supremacist phrase” popular with the Aryan Renaissance Society, the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com