Pepsi pulls music festival sponsorship amid backlash to Ye performance

Pepsi has pulled out of sponsoring anupcoming music festivalin London amid growing backlash over the involvement ofYe, the controversial rapper formerly known asKanye West.

A Pepsi spokesperson confirmed in a statement provided to USA TODAY on April 5, "Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival." The move came days after the announcement that Ye will headline all three days of the festival, which is scheduled to take place this July in London.

The booking sparked swift criticism given the widespread backlash Ye has faced in recent years for his racist and antisemitic comments, including saying he loves Adolf Hitler, identifies as a Nazi and planned to go "death con 3 on" Jewish people. In 2022,major brandscut ties with the rapper over his antisemitic statements. Since then, Ye has continued stirring outrage and in 2025 released a song titled "Heil Hitler."

USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Ye for comment.

The Wireless Festival will be held at Finsbury Park in London from July 10 to July 12. Festival organizers previously said that Ye's "UK comeback will be an extraordinary chapter in Wireless's story,"per the BBC. The rapper last performed in the U.K. in 2015.

Prior to Pepsi's statement,U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmertold theBritish tabloid The Sunit is "deeply concerning" that Ye has been booked to perform at the festival "despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism."

Starmer added, "Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe."

Ye to headline Wireless Festival:The announcement came after his recent apology for antisemitic remarks

The charity Campaign Against Antisemitism also condemned Ye's planned performance and called on Starmer to prevent the rapper from entering the U.K. in a statement provided to USA TODAY.

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Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house, cut ties with the star after he made antisemitic remarks.

Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye hit the 2025 Grammys red carpet donning a black shirt and pants, sunglasses and a chain. Meanwhile, wife Bianca Censori wore a black fur coat that she removed to pose in a nearly nude, see-through dress as photographers captured the couple's appearance.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Bianca Censori attend the Marni fall/winter 2024 fashion show on Feb. 23, 2024, in Milan, Italy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Bianca Censori are seen in the stands during the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg football match Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Feb. 20, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Charlie Wilson, left, and Ye attend Wilson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on Jan. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye attended the premiere for "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM," a documentary by conservative political commentator Candace Owens, on Oct. 12, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast a few days after the event found the rapper making controversial statements on the manner of Floyd's death." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and his children Saint West, Chicago West and Psalm West, who he shares with ex Kim Kardashian, attended the Balenciaga womenswear spring/summer 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 2, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> gave an impassioned speech about Diddy, who he called his "brother."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> were rumored to be romantically linked at the time." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> then-girlfriend Julia Fox, an actress and model, attended the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show during Paris Fashion Week on Jan. 23, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> temporarily moved into the venue following the event while he finished work on his 10th studio album "Donda," named after his late mother Donda West." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Easter Sunday service during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "feel like Superman." Trump called him "a smart cookie."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See Kanye West, Ye, the polarizing rapper, fashion mogul

Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house,cut ties with the starafter he made antisemitic remarks.Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

"The Prime Minister is right to be deeply concerned that Wireless wants to headline someone whose anti-Jewish bigotry has gone as far as recording a track titled 'Heil Hitler' less than a year ago," the statement read. "He is not a bystander though. The Government can ban anyone from entering the UK who is not a citizen and whose presence would 'not be conducive to the public good.' Surely this is a clear case. Pepsi has done the right thing by dropping its sponsorship of the festival, but if management are adamant that they want to headline Kanye West, it is only the Government that can stop them."

Ye, who unveiled his latest album "Bully" on March 28,took out a full-page adin the Wall Street Journal in January apologizing for his previous comments. He said he "lost touch with reality" because he suffers from bipolar disorder.

Ye performs first US show in years:What critics and fans are saying

"One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments − many of which I still cannot recall − that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience," he wrote. "I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people."

Ye alsotold Vanity Fairthathe oweda "huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular."

At the time, the Anti-Defamation Leaguedescribed Ye's apologyas "long overdue," but said it does not "automatically undo his long history of antisemitism – the antisemitic 'Heil Hitler' song he created, the hundreds of tweets, the swastikas and myriad Holocaust references – and all of the feelings of hurt and betrayal it caused."

On April 1, Yeperformed his first full live showin the United States since 2021, taking the stage at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo and Anna Kaufman

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kanye West Wireless Festival loses Pepsi as sponsor amid backlash

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4/06/2026 03:12:00 PM

Pepsi pulls music festival sponsorship amid backlash to Ye performance

Pepsi has pulled out of sponsoring anupcoming music festivalin London amid growing backlash over the involvement ofYe, t...

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Jefferson Airplane Guitarist Says Jerry Garcia Was Band's ‘Spiritual Advisor,' Praises 'Amazing Human Being' Bob Weir (Exclusive)

Jorma Kaukonen credits Jerry Garcia as Jefferson Airplane's "spiritual advisor," who influenced the band's album Surrealistic Pillow

NEED TO KNOW

• Both Garcia and Bob Weir had a huge impact on Kaukonen and Jefferson Airplane as a whole

• "My past is with me all the time," Kaukonen shares with PEOPLE

Bands often look to one another for inspiration and advice, sometimes even spiritually. Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen knows this all too well.

Kaukonen, now 85, talks to PEOPLE about the Grateful Dead's impact on Jefferson Airplane.

In 1967, Jefferson Airplane releasedSurrealistic Pillow,the band's first album with vocalist Grace Slick and drummer Spencer Dryden. The album featured the popular songs "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit." For Kaukonen, the albumpushed them into "uncharted territory"and was a "quantum leap" from their first album.

But, like another band one famously sang, Kaukonen got by "with a little help" from his friends — Jerry Garcia, more specifically.

"We're also fortunate inSurrealistic Pillowthat if you look at the record, I think it lists Jerry Garcia as a spiritual advisor," he explains. "Jerry had played bluegrass bands and jug bands, rock and roll bands for years. His input into arranging and playing rock and roll music was so important at that time."

Another member of the Grateful Dead also had a major impact on the band and Kaukonen himself — Bob Weir.

"Bob is one of these truly, truly amazing human beings and he's left a hell of a legacy behind him," he shares. "I met Bob when he was probably maybe 16. I think Jerry brought him to a gig and that would've been when I was playing acoustic guitar, way before Jefferson Airplane."

Kaukonen goes on to say that he always considered Weir a "biophile, a lover of life."

"He was just always, always reaching for the stars. I was pretty much happy just basically being a folky blues musician in a small town in California," Kaukonen shares. "Bob was always looking ahead, and he's always been an inspirational guy to me, and it was an honor that I could call him a friend. He's sorely missed."

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Weirdied in January 2026from "underlying lung issues" after "beating cancer." He was 78.

One of the things that inspired Kaukonen the most about Weir was "the way that he would go after things that he wanted to go after."

Another major inspiration for Kaukonen was one of Weir's mentors, the Reverend Gary Davis, whom he fondly remembers from "a geeky guitar player story."

"He was a Black gospel singer that lived in New York. I met the Reverend because he was a friend of one of my mentors, but I never 'studied' with him," he shares. "I remember that Bob actually went to Queens, New York, and took lessons from Reverend Davis himself and the version that the Grateful Dead worked up of 'Samson and Delilah' was directly inspired by the way Bob learned."

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"I'm a finger-style guitar player, and Bob wasn't, but the Reverend used all these really odd chords that were idiosyncratic to his style, and Bob learned all those chords and incorporated them into the Grateful Dead version of 'Sampson and Delilah,'" he adds.

Both looking back and looking forward, Kaukonen shares, "My past is with me all the time."

"I find that I listen to all kinds of music, but I haven't really found myself motivated to really snag guitar techniques from more modern musicians," he admits. "That's not just that I'm an old stick in the mud. It's just that I really love the roots of where I'm coming from. To mix my metaphors, it's a very deep mine and I've hardly gotten to the bottom yet."

Now in his 80s, the guitarist continues to play and released the albumWabash Avenuein 2025. He will tour this year, with a stop in Michigan's Historic Ironwood Theatre with John Hurlbut. Kaukonen will also stop at Newport Folk Festival later in the summer.

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Jefferson Airplane Guitarist Says Jerry Garcia Was Band's ‘Spiritual Advisor,' Praises 'Amazing Human Being' Bob Weir (Exclusive)

Jorma Kaukonen credits Jerry Garcia as Jefferson Airplane's "spiritual advisor," who influenced the band...

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Lisa Kudrow Says Phoebe from “Friends ”‘Wasn’t Stupid’ Despite Everyone Labeling the Character ‘Such a Ditz’

Lisa Kudrow said her Friends character Phoebe Buffay "wasn't stupid" in a recent interview

NEED TO KNOW

• "At first, Phoebe was very, very far from me. It took a lot of work to justify the things she would say and do," the actress said

• Friends aired for 10 seasons on NBC from 1994 to 2004

Lisa Kudrowis setting the record straight on her iconicFriendscharacter.

The actress, 62, said Phoebe Buffay from the hit sitcom "wasn't stupid" while speaking with actressLily Tomlinfor anInterview Magazinearticle published on ​​Monday, March 30.

"At the time, it was like, 'She's such a ditz. How is it that you only play ditzes?' And I thought, Is she a ditz? To me, she wasn't," Kudrow recalled of the public response to her character.

When asked who called Phoebe a ditz, she replied, "Everybody. In 1994, it was like, 'I love her. She's such a ditz.' And it's like, yeah, okay, that was what a ditz was to us. Someone who wasn't toeing the line."

TheComebackstar emphasized, however, that her character "wasn't stupid."

Still, Kudrow said it took some time for her to personally connect with her character, but it eventually happened over the show's lengthy run.

"At first, Phoebe was very, very far from me. It took a lot of work to justify the things she would say and do. Not in an irritating way—it was fun. Over the course of 10 years, a little bit of her came into me. I lightened up a little more and read some books on spirituality and things, just to try to understand her," she said.

The NBC sitcom about six friends living in New York City aired from 1994 to 2004. It also starredJennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,David Schwimmer,Matt LeBlancand the lateMatthew Perry.

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Phoebe was a musician who juggled a variety of jobs throughout the series. Kudrow won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of the quirky character in 1998.

The actressrevisited her time on the beloved showwhile speaking withToday.comin 2024.

"We loved each other," she said of her costars. "Going to work every day was heaven. It was too good to be true, but it really was."

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Kudrow also said starring on the show and having such early success opened the door for her later works.

"Because I was onFriends, I got to create my own shows that didn't have to be as big asFriends, so I could do something likeThe ComebackorWeb Therapy, and that was really fulfilling," she said at the time.

The Comebackpremieredits third and final seasonon March 22, two decades after its first installment in 2005.

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin

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Lisa Kudrow Says Phoebe from “Friends ”‘Wasn’t Stupid’ Despite Everyone Labeling the Character ‘Such a Ditz’

Lisa Kudrow said her Friends character Phoebe Buffay "wasn't stupid" in a recent interview NEE...

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Gabrielle Union’s Father Dies at 81 After Dementia Diagnosis: ‘Nothing Prepares You for the Painfully Slow Disappearing’

Gabrielle Union's dad, Sylvester Union Jr., has died at age 81

NEED TO KNOW

• He was placed in memory care in 2023, years after being diagnosed with dementia

• "No matter how much you think you know about dementia, nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearing of your loved one," Gabrielle wrote in an Instagram tribute

Gabrielle Union's dad, Sylvester "Cully" Union Jr., has died. He was 81.

Sylvester died on Friday, April 3, according to the actress in a heartfeltInstagram tribute. Her father wasplaced in memory care in 2023, years after he was diagnosed with dementia.

"No matter how much you think you know about dementia, nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearing of your loved one," Gabrielle, 53, wrote. "First it's repeating words or forgetting little things here or there, then BOOM, he can't swallow or walk."

"The them that you know gets smaller and smaller," she continued. "You hold out hope for sustained eye contact or a smile; even a hand squeeze can make you feel like they could come back to you 'normal' at any second. It's brutal and it's what he experienced, but it wasn't who he was."

TheBring It OnandRiff Raffstar remembered her dad as someone "surrounded by love and support from his ever-growing village."

"I swear he never met a stranger, just friends he hadn't met yet. A lifelong, die-hard Nebraska fan, he taught me the values of teamwork, a fierce work ethic, and that you are only as strong as your weakest link, so tend to them first," she wrote.

Gabrielle also said Sylvester "was a perfectly imperfect man and father," adding that he "acknowledged his imperfections, apologized, and made amends for as long as it took for the hurts to heal."

"No one was ever left behind or unseen," she wrote.

TheForbidden Fruitsstar recalled her dad being the "life of every party," writing, "He loved music, traveling the world, and spending time with extended family and friends."

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"I am grateful for all who stepped up in his final years to care, nurture, and love on him. My family and I are eternally grateful for the medical and memory care staff who ensured he had the best care. My sisters who stepped up are heroes, and I love you both beyond words," the actress said.

"It's bewildering to feel relief that the pain has ended, but profound heartbreak at the finality of his time. I know I'm not the first or last Daddy's girl to go through this, and I'm sending love and healing to anyone suffering the loss of a parent. I know his love is eternal and will find me in every realm," Gabrielle concluded.

The Instagram post featured a compilation video that included clips of Sylvester singing into a microphone during a meal and at a football game, as well as an array of family pictures.

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ActressAja Naomi Kingexpressed her condolences in the comments section, writing, "Sending you so much love," while comedianRobin Thedewrote, "May he dance in heaven always!"

JournalistKelley Carterwrote, "Your dad was always so incredibly kind. Sending you and your sisters all of my love. Here for you always."

In October, Gabrielle shared an Instagram carousel of photosin honor of her dad's 81st birthday, writing, "It's my Dad's 81st birthday and I don't think I've ever been more grateful to be his daughter."

The photos showed family members — including her husband,Dwyane Wade, and her sister,Tracy Union— gathered around her father as he rested in a chair underneath a Nebraska Cornhuskers blanket.

Gabrille previously shared that her dad's medical care has influenced her career choices, explaining, "You know, nursing homes, what's covered by insurance, what's not, home health aids — like that all adds up and having to really be cognizant of an additional output, I have to go where the money goes."

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Gabrielle Union’s Father Dies at 81 After Dementia Diagnosis: ‘Nothing Prepares You for the Painfully Slow Disappearing’

Gabrielle Union's dad, Sylvester Union Jr., has died at age 81 NEED TO KNOW He was placed in memory care...

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Prince George, 12, Towers Over Siblings Charlotte and Louis at 2026 Easter Service

Prince WilliamandPrincess Kate Middleton's eldest son, 12-year-oldPrince George, is growing up before the world's very eyes.

William, 43, and Kate, 44, brought George and his two siblings, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, to theannual Easter Mattins serviceat St George's Chapel on Sunday, April 4. Kate and Charlotte twinned in beige coatdresses, while William and his sons opted for navy suits.

As for George, he showed off his impressive stature as his height nearly rivaled mom Kate's on Sunday.

George, as William and Kate's eldest child, iscurrently second in the line of successionbehind his father. William's dad,King Charles III, assumed the throne in 2022 after the death of the lateQueen Elizabeth II.

How Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Preparing Prince George For the Throne

George has recently started taking on more royal duties in preparation for his eventual ascension, beginning with serving as a pageboy during Charles' coronation. He latermade his debut appearanceat the Festival of Remembrance in November 2025, helping to prepare for his future reign.

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"It's an interesting question, and it's a big question, that one," William said of George assuming the throne onan October 2025 episode ofThe Reluctant Traveller. "Because there's lots of things to think about with that, but obviously, I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people's lives for the better."

He added, "I hope we don't go back to some of the practices in the past that[Prince] Harry[my brother] and I had to grow up in, and I'll do everything I can to make sure we don't regress in that situation."

William and Harry, 41, are the two sons of Charles, 77, and late ex-wifePrincess Diana.The brothers, however, have been estranged since 2020 after Harry moved to California with wifeMeghan Markleand their two children. (Harry and Meghan, 44, stepped down from their duties as senior working royals prior to moving and amid an onslaught of racist media attention.)

"When it's to do with family and things like that, then that's where I start getting a bit overwhelmed, as I think most people would," William acknowledged to hostEugene Levy. "It's more personal, it's more about feeling, it's more about upsetting the rhythm."

Prince George's Royal Life in Photos: Prince William and Kate Middleton's Son Through the Years

As for George, he is likely aware that he will be the future king of England.

"Barring any accidents or health issues, George will not be king for some years," royal historianMarlene Koenigexclusively toldUs Weeklyin August 2025, speculating that George is already "undoubtedly aware" of his future. "George may be a 12-year-old schoolboy who loves sports, but he is most certainly aware of his future."

byJastin

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4/06/2026 11:12:00 AM

Prince George, 12, Towers Over Siblings Charlotte and Louis at 2026 Easter Service

Prince WilliamandPrincess Kate Middleton's eldest son, 12-year-oldPrince George, is growing up before the world'...

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