In brief
Kanye West's upcoming concert in Marseille, France, has been postponed indefinitely. This decision follows the cancellation of the Wireless Festival, where West was also a scheduled performer, due to issues concerning his entrance into the UK. French authorities, particularly Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, were reportedly considering measures to ban the concert, highlighting the rapper's recent history of antisemitic comments. West expressed his desire to avoid placing his fans in a difficult position while he navigates public scrutiny over his actions.
American rapper Kanye West has announced the postponement of an upcoming concert in Marseille, France until further notice.
It comes a week after this summer's Wireless Festival - which West had been scheduled to headline - was cancelled following the UK government's decision to block him from entering the country.
French media reports indicate that Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was looking to ban the June 11 gig. An unnamed source close to Nunez suggested that the minister was highly determined to prevent the event from happening.
For the last several years, West has faced backlash for a series of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments.
After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice, West, now known as Ye, said in a post on social media.
In a follow-up statement, he emphasized: I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends. I take full responsibility for what's mine but I don't want to put my fans in the middle of it. My fans are everything to me. Looking forward to the next shows.
West was set to perform at Wireless in London and the Marseille concert as part of a broader European tour scheduled for this summer. Despite the postponement, his official website still lists performances in other European countries throughout May, June, and July, including Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
There are also plans for West to play in New Delhi, India, later in May.
Interestingly, it was reported last week that there were no plans to bar the rapper in the Netherlands, contradicting his situation in France. The French government has been exploring all possibilities to prohibit West from performing, although further details were not disclosed.
The Home Office had canceled West's application to enter the UK, stating that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
West's previous remarks include a controversial social media post where he pledged to go death con 3 On Jewish people and statements made during a podcast appearance where he expressed admiration for Hitler. He has since attempted to apologize, attributing his past actions to mental health challenges.
In a statement published in the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, he claimed, I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people. He also mentioned struggling with bipolar disorder, which he said contributed to a loss of touch with reality.
