David Schwimmer Calls for Action Against Kanye West's Hate Speech on Social Media
Actor David Schwimmer urges Elon Musk to ban Kanye West from X following the rapper's recent antisemitic remarks.
David Schwimmer, known for his role on the television show 'Friends,' has publicly criticized Kanye West, who is also known by the name Ye, for what Schwimmer characterizes as antisemitic and racist speech on social media.
In a post shared on Instagram, Schwimmer directly addressed Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), urging him to take action against West, whom he referred to as a 'deranged bigot.'
Schwimmer's comments came in response to a series of posts made by West that began on February 7, 2025, which included inflammatory statements aimed at various ethnicities, with a particular focus on Jewish people.
West’s rhetoric reportedly included expressions of admiration for Adolf Hitler and self-identification as a Nazi, leading to heightened concern about the implications of his messages.
In his Instagram post, Schwimmer emphasized the significant audience West commands, noting that he has 32.7 million followers on the platform, a number he highlighted as being disproportionate to the Jewish population globally.
'We can't stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate-filled, ignorant bile...but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk,' Schwimmer wrote.
He further expressed concern that West's continued presence on the platform could contribute to real-world violence against Jewish individuals.
This is not the first time West has faced allegations of hate speech; in 2022, he was accused of making racist statements, which resulted in a public backlash and loss of commercial partnerships, including with major brands like Adidas and Gap.
Following those incidents, West issued an apology to the Jewish community in which he expressed regret for any unintended harm caused by his words, stating his commitment to learning from the experience and promoting understanding.
The recent resurgence of West's controversial comments has reignited discussions around the responsibilities of social media platforms in moderating hate speech and the effects such rhetoric can have on society.
The calls for action against West reflect growing concern among public figures and communities about the impact of influential voices in spreading harmful ideologies online.