David Schwimmer thanks sponsors for withdrawing from Ye's UK concert
What's the story
David Schwimmer, known for his role in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, has slammed rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) over his antisemitic comments and subsequent apology. In a lengthy Instagram post, he thanked companies like Pepsi, PayPal, and Diageo for pulling their sponsorship from London's Wireless Festival, where Ye is scheduled to perform. He also urged other sponsors to follow suit.
Apology skepticism
'An apology letter...does not erase years of abuse'
Schwimmer expressed his disbelief at Ye's apology, which was published as a paid advertisement in The Wall Street Journal. He wrote, "An apology letter is just that: Words on paper." "It does not erase years of abuse." He also criticized the artists who supported Ye during his recent performance at SoFi Stadium in California, questioning their lack of public condemnation for his past remarks.
Demands
The actor also demanded that Ye take these steps
Schwimmer further demanded that Ye take concrete steps to prove his sincerity. He suggested that Ye could pull the song Heil Hitler and "publicly disavow it," meet with Jewish leaders or artists for a "public conversation about rehabilitation," or donate a portion of his Wireless profits to one or more Jewish charitable organizations in the UK.
Past actions
Schwimmer had previously called for Ye's ban from X
This isn't the first time Schwimmer has publicly called out Ye. In February 2025, after Ye's antisemitic tweets on X, Schwimmer asked Elon Musk to ban him from the platform. He wrote, "We can't stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate-filled, ignorant bile... but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone."
Festival response
Wireless Festival is standing by its decision to keep Ye
Despite the growing pressure from sponsors and UK government officials, the Wireless Festival is standing by its decision to keep Ye on the lineup. Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, defended Ye in a statement to Variety. He acknowledged that Ye's past statements about Jews and Hitler were "abhorrent," but argued that they are "not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature," and only to perform songs "enjoyed by millions."