Fox Television Stations CEO Jack Abernethy sent an internal memo on Wednesday regarding the controversial Kanye West commercial that aired in several markets during the Super Bowl. West, known as “Ye,” produced the ad for his Yeezy clothing line, which directed viewers to the Yeezy.com website, featuring a white T-shirt bearing a swastika. This came after Ye made anti-Semitic social media posts, including remarks like “I love Hitler.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, the commercial aired in just four markets nationwide: Fox-owned stations in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and the St. Louis Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group. Abernethy expressed his regret in the memo, stating, “We strongly condemn any form of antisemitism,” and noted that the ad had been switched.
Scoop: Fox TV Stations executive Jack Abernethy just sent a memo to employees about the Kanye West ad controversy.
“We regret that these commercials aired in these three markets, and we strongly condemn any form of antisemitism,” he wrote.
Abernathy said the ad was “switched”
— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) February 12, 2025
The agency behind the ad, USIM, submitted it to the stations the previous week, claiming it had been vetted adequately. Both Fox and Nexstar executives also reviewed the ad and the associated website, according to WSJ. However, Ye or his team could change the featured products on the website rapidly, leading Shopify—hosting millions of online stores—to remove Yeezy.com on Tuesday. “This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms, so we removed them from Shopify,” the company stated.
An NFL spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that officials were “unaware of the ad buy or the spot until after it ran” and expressed strong condemnation of any form of antisemitism. Additionally, The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement addressing the commercial and calling on Fox Sports to condemn the incident. “We refuse to let hate win. Bigotry has consequences,” the statement asserted. “Join ADL in demanding that Fox Sports condemn this ad and never give hate a platform again.”
