Jaylen Brown Backtracks As He & Aaron Donald Exit Kanye's Donda Sports

BY Erika Marie 3.6K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Boston Celtics v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Four
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Just yesterday, Brown said he was staying with the agency, but today, he's had a change of heart & issued an apology.

There is no telling when their wave of cancelation will end for Kanye West, but he does have people sticking by his side. We can't escape the ongoing controversy involving West as his public persona has evolved from alleged music genius to anti-Semite in a matter of weeks. During his recent appearance on Drink Champs, Ye insisted that he can make anti-Semitic comments and that Adidas wouldn't dissolve their partnership, but we have learned that the Rap icon was mistaken.

We've continued to report on companies severing ties with West, including Adidas, The Gap, CAA, Def Jam, Vogue, Balenciaga, and a production company that created a documentary about the star. Still, West has a team of supporters that are standing by his side, and that was thought to include Boston Celtics baller Jaylen Brown.

Orlando Magic v Boston Celtics
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Brown is signed to West's burgeoning Donda Sports, and although this has been a rough season for anyone associated with the hitmaker, in an interview with The Boston Globe, Brown said he was staying with the agency.

“First, I don’t condone any hurt, harm, or danger toward any group of people or individuals whatsoever,” said Brown. “I’ve been a member of my community, trying to uplift my community, and I’m going to continue to do that.”

"The reason why I signed with Donda Sports, it represented education, it represented activism, disruption. It represented single-parent households, and a lot more people are involved in something like that."

"A lot of people that I work with, work with their families, build love and respect for, spending time in the summer," he continued. "A lot of people involved. That’s what the organization from my vantage point from Donda Sports represented."

However, just as this news was making the rounds, TMZ reported that both Brown and Aaron Donald have officially announced that their names would no longer be on Donda Sports' roster.

"The recent comments and displays of hate and anti-Semitism are the exact opposite of how we choose to live our lives and raise our children. We find them to be irresponsible and go against everything we believe in as a family," Donald reportedly said in a statement.

He continued: "As parents and members of society, we felt a responsibility to send a clear message that hateful words and actions have consequences and that we must do better as human beings. We do not feel our beliefs, voices and actions belong anywhere near a space that misrepresents and oppresses people of any background, ethnicity or race."

Brown echoed those sentiments while addressing the Globe interview that was published just yesterday (October 24).

"In the past 24 hours, I've been able to reflect and better understand how my previous statements lack clarity in expressing my stance against recent insensitive public remarks and actions. For that, I apologize."

[via][via]

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.