Kanye West in dust-up over sister-in-law's sponsor deal
In Hollywood's celebrity culture, it apparently takes very little to get a feud going -- even when it involves a member of your own family.
Just ask Kanye West. West recently took to Twitter to admonish his sister-in-law, Kylie Jenner, after the 18-year-old reality star signed a promotional deal with athletic footwear-maker Puma, which competes directly against Adidas, a backer of West's Yeezy fashion collection.
Upon learning of the deal between Puma and Jenner, who is featured in the brand's women's training campaign beginning in April, West tweeted:
It's not known whether the rift is real or merely a publicity stunt. Requests for comment from representatives for both West and Jenner weren't returned.
Puma and Adidas, both German brands, are well-versed with family feuds, owing their establishment to a falling out between brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, during World War II. Adolf founded Adidas (resulting from the combination of "Adi" and "Das"), while Rudolf eventually settled on naming his shoe company Puma.
While no one is sure what caused the rift, it's said to be a result of miscommunication.
What's unclear is why West took exception to Puma's agreement with Jenner, after supporting fellow singer Rihanna's Fenty collection with Puma, which made its debut Saturday during New York Fashion Week.
"Wow the paradigm has shifted, She killed it... everything is changed now!!!!" West tweeted after Rihanna's line made its debut.
What is known is that West's wife, Kim Kardashian -- Jenner's half-sister, is no fan of West's rants on social media. "What causes friction in the marriage, however, is Kanye's compulsive tweeting," a source told People magazine. "She is all for self-promotion, but doesn't approve of Twitter drama."
Still, West is among a prized group of celebrities who can easily plump up sales by the mere mention of the brand name (either in text or photo) on social media sites, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Other celebs with huge social media followings who have had deals with fashion brands are:
- Rihanna: Puma, Stance and Dior
- Pharell Williams: Timberland, Adidas
- Taylor Swift: Keds, JD.com
- Victor Cruz: FinishLine, Givenchy, Nike, 3X1
- Beyonce: TopShop
Not to be left out, sports apparel-maker Under Armour (UA) has inked deals with several sports celebrities, including Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton; Olympian Michael Phelps (who was dumped by Kellogg (K) in 2009 after a photograph surfaced of the swimmer inhaling from a marijuana pipe); and ballet dancer Misty Copeland.