Amid growing controversy over Kanye West headlining the Wireless Festival in London, the rapper says he “would be grateful” to meet with members of the UK Jewish community who have criticized his inclusion at one of the country’s biggest music events despite West’s history of anti-Semitic statements.
The rapper said in a statement to the BBC: “To those I’ve hurt: I’ve been following the conversation about Wireless and I want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and put on a show for change, and bring unity, peace and love through my music.”
The BBC reported that West offered to meet community members in person to “listen,” adding: “I know words aren’t enough — I’m going to have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here. With love, you, formerly known as Kanye West.”
West’s key position at Wireless caused political unrest in the UK and even British Prime Minister Keir Starmer got involved. The sun Starmer said: “It is extremely disturbing that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous anti-Semitic statements and celebration of Nazism.
“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
In addition to his anti-Semitic rhetoric and releasing the song “Heil Hitler” in 2025, West also used a Super Bowl ad last year to direct viewers to his Yeezy website that featured T-shirts emblazoned with swastikas. West has since apologized for his anti-Semitic remarks in an ad on Wall Street Journal Earlier this year, he did not address the controversy further but spoke about his struggle with bipolar disorder and other mental health challenges.
Sponsors began pulling their sponsorship on Sunday after promoter Wireless Festival Republic announced West’s booking. Festival director Melvin Penn issued an extended statement on Monday defending the decision to book West, stating that fans should “offer some forgiveness and hope.”
friends Star David Schwimmer took to social media on Monday to praise the companies that pulled their sponsorship of Wireless, noting that West had not properly atone for his years of anti-Semitic comments and that his written apology “does not erase years of abuse.”
“Thank you Pepsi, PayPal and Diageo. It’s great to see companies with ethical clarity.” friends the star wrote on Instagram on Monday. “Unlike Wireless and Festival Republic, they have decided not to provide a platform to the artist who has become one of the world’s most notorious hate-mongering bigots — while other organizations merely seek to profit from one.”
“Remember: I apologized before, only to retract that apology and increase his intense hatred for the Jewish people,” Schwimmer continued.
The actor added: “Until Ye shows his commitment to rebuilding trust — not just with the Jewish community, but with all the fans he has left sad and disappointed with his hateful rhetoric over the past few years — he should not be given a platform to perform. To do so would be implicitly complicit in what these companies know is wrong, unethical, and unethical.”
