By now, nearly everyone is caught up on the latest drama involving Ye (formerly Kanye) West. But in case you missed it, here's the recap: Ye has been on an immoral bender that has catapulted him from grace to disgrace. Milestones on his epic downturn include showing support for white supremacy at Paris Fashion Week by sporting a "White Lives Matter" shirt, and making numerous anything-but-subtle antisemitic comments in the press and on social media. Now Ye is paying the price, literally. Many of Ye's commercial partnerships—including those with Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga, and CAA talent agency—have been terminated. The unraveling of Ye's partnerships, particularly Adidas, have attracted the attention of law practitioners and scholars, provoking questions about the transactional mechanics of the partnership agreements that follow when brands decide to collaborate with celebrities and influencers. This article will explore (1) what we know about Ye's partnership deal with Adidas, (2) how the deal's termination likely went down, and (3) key takeaways for brands similarly situated or who are contemplating future partnerships.

What exactly is a "brand partnership?" A brand partnership generally entails meaningful participation from a celebrity partner or social media influencer. For example, the celebrity partner may work with the brand's creative team to provide inspiration for, and perhaps even approval rights over, product designs. Some recent brand partnerships include Lizzo's Yitty shapewear line for Fabletics, Kim Kardashian's Beats by Fit Pro Wireless Earbuds, and Justin Bieber's "Timbiebs" limited-edition line of doughnut holes created by Bieber and Tim Hortons' in-house chef. A standard endorsement, like when Beyoncé famously starred in Pepsi's ad campaign for $50 million, differs from a brand partnership. While Lizzo used her creativity and know-how to create a new product line for Fabletics, Beyoncé simply appeared in Pepsi ads to promote their products.