Ye defends working with DaBaby and Marilyn Manson and criticises #MeToo movement: ‘They can’t cancel us all’

Artist’s comments have been criticised online

Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, has defended his widely criticised collaborations with Marilyn Manson and DaBaby on his recent album Donda.

Manson currently faces multiple lawsuits over allegations of sexual assault, including by actor Evan Rachel Wood, who alleged that Manson groomed and abused her for years. He has denied all accusations against him.

DaBaby faced criticism earlier this year over homophobic comments he made about people living with HIV.

Speaking on the Drink Champs podcast yesterday (4 November), Ye addressed their inclusion on the album and criticised the #MeToo movement, which has seen people speak out against sexual assault in the entertainment industry.

“All the Me Too… like, when I sit next to Marilyn Manson and DaBaby right after both of them got cancelled, for five songs, you know, it’s like they can’t cancel us all,” he said. “They’ll hit you with the accusations of somebody who you was with 10 years ago.”

The rapper continued: “And also, there’s women who’ve been through really serious things, pulled in alleys against their will – that’s different than a hug, but it’s classified as the same thing.

“It’s power and politics. You know, power-hungry maniacs and just control. This is Nineteen Eighty-Four mind control we’re in.”

Ye’s comments provoked a backlash on social media.

Ye pictured in October 2019 (Getty Images)

SiriusXM host Sowmya Krishnamurthy wrote: “[Ye] talking about #metoo is not good. He’s confusing ‘a hug’ with ‘women getting pulled in alleys’.

“This is exactly why nothing changes. Men in power don’t understand the nuances of sexual assault and violence.”

Another Twitter user wrote: “A long time ago @kanyewest was once an enlightened musical pioneer. Now he is just a reactionary out of touch cultural dinosaur.”

Elsewhere in the interview, West also announced he was still a supporter of former president Donald Trump.