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The Weeknd Ends Partnership With H&M Over Offensive "Monkey" Sweatshirt Ad
The singer says he was "deeply offended."
H&M just lost themselves a celebrity endorsement.
Earlier this week, the company came under fire over an online advertisement featuring a young black boy wearing a sweatshirt that read "Coolest Monkey In The Jungle" across the front. The Weeknd tweeted a screenshot of the offensive ad on Monday and announced that he was ending his relationship with the retail chain because of it.
"Woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. I’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore..." he wrote.
The Weeknd had previously partnered with H&M for their 2017 Spring Icons Collection.
Shortly after the backlash began to gain traction, H&M issued a public apology.
"We sincerely apologize for offending people with this image," the company said in a statement to USA Today. "The image has been removed from all online channels and the product will not be for sale in the United States. We believe in diversity and inclusion in all that we do and will be reviewing all our internal policies accordingly to avoid any future issues."
The Weeknd isn't the only celeb who's done with H&M, either. Lebron James, Diddy, and Questlove have all commented on the scandal, with Lebron and Diddy sharing art of the ad, re-imagined into something more positive.
Meanwhile, some fans have been calling for Nicki Minaj and Jesse Williams, both of whom worked with the brand on a holiday collection last year, to follow The Weeknd's lead and speak out.
[Photo: Getty Images, Twitter]
