Kanye West Told Tucker Carlson He Was 'Threatened' Over Trump Support
By Kristin Myers on October 6, 2022 at 8:10 PM EDT
Updated on October 6, 2022 at 8:14 PM EDT
Rapper Kanye West told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Thursday night that "they threatened my life" after he expressed support for former President Donald Trump.
However, that’s not the only reason that the “Donda” rapper has been in hot water recently. At his YZY Season 9 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, Ye stepped out in a “White Lives Matter” shirt that has sparked fierce debate online.
During his wide-ranging interview with the Fox News host on Thursday, October 6, the "Famous" rapper said that his "so-called friends" openly "threatened" his life after he had expressed support for the MAGA giant.
Kanye West Told Tucker Carlson 'They Threatened My Life' After He Expressed Support For Donald Trump
Tonight @kanyewest pic.twitter.com/PvZjbm1cwO
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) October 6, 2022
In a clip released by Fox News ahead of the interview, Ye told Tucker Carlson that the people around him warned him that he might be putting an end to his career by signaling his support for Donald Trump.
“My so-called friends/handlers around me told me if I said that I liked Trump that my career would be over. That my life would be over,” Kanye said on Thursday night.
“They said stuff like people get killed for wearing a hat like that," he continued, referring to the infamous red MAGA hat that bears the slogan, "Make America Great Again."
"They threatened my life," Ye alleged, although he didn't name names. "They basically said that I would be killed for wearing the hat."
He then related the MAGA hat to the recent controversy caused by the "White Lives Matter" shirt, adding, "I had someone call me last night and said anybody wearing a ‘white lives matter’ shirt is going to be green-lit. That means they are going to beat them up if I wear it. I’m like, you know, ‘Okay, green light me then.’"
Ye's 'White Lives Matter' Shirt Under Fire From The Fashion Industry
Although many have condemned the shirt online, one of the most vocal of critics was Vogue’s first black female cover stylist, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.
“The t shirts this man conceived, produced and shared are pure violence. There is no excuse," she said. "There is no art there.”
Another fashion critic for the New York Times, Vanessa Friedman, was also critical of Ye's Paris collection. She wrote a scathing review of the controversial shirt with the headline, “There Is No Excuse for Ye’s ‘White Lives Matter’ Shirt.”
Ye made headlines during Paris Fashion Week when he debuted a shirt that sparked controversy at his surprise YZY show. @Dometi_ has what you #NeedToKnow about how his latest stunt uplifts racist movements pic.twitter.com/wO0ldeyX8H
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) October 6, 2022
The fashion world isn't the only person who is considering severing ties with Ye over the controversial statement. Adidas, who has collaborated with the Yeezy founder for several years, released a statement announcing that they were placing their partnership with the "Hurricane" rapper "under review."
In a brief statement, the company said, “After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
However, on Thursday night, Ye told Tucker Carlson, "I don't care about people's reactions" and doubled down on his conservative stance by wearing an ultrasound photo that hung from a lanyard around his neck. When the conservative Fox News host asked Ye about the significance of the lanyard, Kanye told him, "It just represents life. I'm pro-life."
In a third clip that was released ahead of the televised interview, Kanye West took aim at the media, claiming that they were trying to "silence" him while also criticizing their "Godless agenda."
“We are in a battle with the media," he said, although it wasn't clear who "we" is referring to.
"Like, the majority of the media has a Godless agenda, and their jokes are not working," Ye continued. "This whole like ‘Oh, Ye’s crazy’ and all these things, they don’t work because the media has, you know, they’ve also watched travesties happen, just even specifically to me, and just watch it and act like it wasn’t happening. And they stay quiet about it.”