Now you see him, now you don’t. The push to ban Kanye West from public life continued Thursday night, as Stephen Colbert, host of CBS’ “The Late Show” ordered the rapper not to approach the theater where he performs.
“After much thought and soul-searching, I, Stephen Colbert, am banning Kanye West from the Ed Sullivan Theater,” Colbert offered at the beginning of his show. “I have to. I have to. Line in the sand.”
Colbert then claimed his authority and “jurisdiction extends to the northern half of Times Square” which must also be left free of West’s presumedly contaminating presence.
“I am banning Kanye from coming north of Bubba Gump Shrimp,” he said. “…Stay out of Times Square. He’s been creeping out the Elmos and they’ve seen a lot already.”
He added, “I have no excuses for why I didn’t do this before, except perhaps that he has never been on the show, we have never asked him to be on the show, and I’m not sure he’s aware that I have a show. But I had to do it now because I was afraid he would just show up at any moment because that’s what he did yesterday.”
Watch as Colbert delivers his banning order:
Colbert’s move against West came during a tumultuous week for the rapper as company after company scrapped association with him while his personal brand took a pounding in the business market place.
Even effigies of West are seemingly not allowed.
As Breitbart News reported, a wax statue of West that previously graced London’s famous waxwork museum Madame Tussauds was banished to a back room Wednesday, never to be seen again.
Elsewhere German sportswear company Adidas is ending the production of Yeezy, its fashion collaboration with West, and pulled all products from sale “with immediate effect.”
The Grammy winner’s talent agency management has also let him go, alongside Foot Locker, Gap, TJ Maxx, JPMorgan Chase bank and Vogue magazine.
West’s finances are still taking a hit as the controversy continues, according to Forbes, which estimates his estate’s value has dropped from $2bn to $400m.
A completed MRC documentary about him was also scrapped.