The Weeknd Quits H&M Partnership Over Racist Ad: 'I'm Deeply Offended'

Taryn Finley

The Weeknd is ending his partnership with H&M following backlash over a racist posting on its U.K. website showing a black child model posing in a hoodie that read “Coolest Monkey In The Jungle.”

On Monday, the “Starboy” singer denounced the listing and announced that he would no longer be collaborating with the company.

“Woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo,” he wrote. “I’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore...”

The Weeknd worked with H&M twice in 2017 when he starred in and curated their Spring Icons campaign and created an 18-piece fall collection.

H&M’s post, which made the rounds on social media on Sunday night, has drawn widespread outrage. Folks pointed to the harmful, centuries-old comparison to monkeys that white people used as a way to oppress and degrade black people. Others noted that the white children modeled sweatshirts with other messages, but only the black child wore the “monkey” sweatshirt.

H&M pulled the listing and issued an apology on Monday.

“We understand that many people are upset about the image. We, who work at H&M, can only agree. We are deeply sorry that the picture was taken, and we also regret the actual print,” company representatives told The Wrap. “Therefore, we have not only removed the image from our channels, but also the garment from our product offering globally.”

They continued, “It is obvious that our routines have not been followed properly. This is without any doubt. We will thoroughly investigate why this happened to prevent this type of mistake from happening again.”

Also on HuffPost

White City

Wow, we heard of "white flight" before but this is ridiculous! (via <a href="http://failblog.org/2010/08/09/epic-fail-photos-name-fail-15-5/" target="_hplink">Fail Blog</a>)
Wow, we heard of "white flight" before but this is ridiculous! (via Fail Blog)

White Power Audi

We'd make a joke about it being a German car, but we know your mind already went there. (via <a href="http://www.11points.com/Misc/11_Accidentally_Racist_Product_and_Company_Names" target="_hplink">11 Points</a>)
We'd make a joke about it being a German car, but we know your mind already went there. (via 11 Points)

Barney

Hey! What the hell, Barney? (via <a href="http://www.photobasement.com/barney-is-racist/" target="_hplink">PhotoBasement</a>)
Hey! What the hell, Barney? (via PhotoBasement)

Segregation Signs?

Let's hope these towns were named a long, long time ago. (via <a href="http://www.shipbrook.com/jeff/blog/images/Whitestown-Brownsburg-small.jpg" target="_hplink">Leapfish</a>)
Let's hope these towns were named a long, long time ago. (via Leapfish)

KKK

"Not Quite Perfect" is a real understatement here. (via <a href="http://failblog.org/2009/01/01/tiny-flaw-big-fail/" target="_hplink">Fail Blog</a>)
"Not Quite Perfect" is a real understatement here. (via Fail Blog)

i.Beat blaxx

Yikes... No matter how many x's you put on there it's pretty obvious what "i.Beat Blaxx" sounds like. (via <a href="http://www.11points.com/Misc/11_Accidentally_Racist_Product_and_Company_Names" target="_hplink">11 Points</a>)
Yikes... No matter how many x's you put on there it's pretty obvious what "i.Beat Blaxx" sounds like. (via 11 Points)

Corkscrew

The addition of "waiter" in this description doesn't really do much good, does it? (via <a href="http://www.bsideblog.com/images/2008/08/crate-barrel.jpg" target="_hplink">bsideblog.com</a>)
The addition of "waiter" in this description doesn't really do much good, does it? (via bsideblog.com)

Nazi Fail

There's something about that daybed that just doesn't sit well with us, but we can't put our finger on it... (via <a href="http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/128914914137217939.jpg" target="_hplink">Fail Blog</a>)
There's something about that daybed that just doesn't sit well with us, but we can't put our finger on it... (via Fail Blog)

Black Kid's Desk

"Kid's Desk In Black" would have been a better way to put it, no? (via <a href="http://www.11points.com/Misc/11_Accidentally_Racist_Product_and_Company_Names" target="_hplink">11 Points</a>)
"Kid's Desk In Black" would have been a better way to put it, no? (via 11 Points)

Pizza With A Side Of Racism

A Papa John's customer snapped a photo of her receipt, which contained an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/07/lady-chinky-eyes-papa-johns-store-uses-receipt-to-call-woman-racial-slur_n_1191434.html" target="_hplink">offensive racial slur</a> in place of the customer's name.
A Papa John's customer snapped a photo of her receipt, which contained an offensive racial slur in place of the customer's name.

'Best Butt' Discount

One woman was surprised to find that along with her veggie bowl, she received a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/21/best-butt-discount-customer-receipt_n_1819442.html" target="_hplink">discount for having the 'best butt'</a> and being the 'best looking' person in the fast food joint.
One woman was surprised to find that along with her veggie bowl, she received a discount for having the 'best butt' and being the 'best looking' person in the fast food joint.

Dry Cleaner Gaffe

A customer got quite a surprise when he picked up his freshly-laundered shirts. The anonymous consumer, dubbed <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/dry-cleaner-dubs-customer_n_1834484.html" target="_hplink">'Asshole, Alex'</a> apparently had the cleaning bill comped.
A customer got quite a surprise when he picked up his freshly-laundered shirts. The anonymous consumer, dubbed 'Asshole, Alex' apparently had the cleaning bill comped.

Profanity-Laden Receipt

Two Burger King employees were fired after a customer noticed that his <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/17/burger-king-f_ck-you-receipt_n_785143.html" target="_hplink">receipt read 'F*ck You'</a> where it would normally say 'Thank You'.
Two Burger King employees were fired after a customer noticed that his receipt read 'F*ck You' where it would normally say 'Thank You'.

Bruins Celebrate In Style

After the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup, they partied... hard. The team apparently <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/23/boston-bruins-bar-tab-infographic_n_883071.html" target="_hplink">rang up a $156,000 bar tab</a> at a nightclub in the Foxwoods Casino, according to the <em>Boston Globe</em>.
After the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup, they partied... hard. The team apparently rang up a $156,000 bar tab at a nightclub in the Foxwoods Casino, according to the Boston Globe.

Restaurant Settles Suit Over Racial Slurs

A California steak house settled a lawsuit with a customer that claimed his <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/racist-restaurant-receipts_n_1279363.html" target="_hplink">credit receipts contained several racial slurs</a> where his name should have been.
A California steak house settled a lawsuit with a customer that claimed his credit receipts contained several racial slurs where his name should have been.

Radio Shack Refund Gets Ugly

A Maryland woman got a little something extra along with her refund when she discovered that an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/13/radio-shack-receipt-ugly-itch-insults-shanae-lewis_n_1342834.html" target="_hplink">associate deemed her an 'ugly itch'</a> from 'ghettohood, USA'.
A Maryland woman got a little something extra along with her refund when she discovered that an associate deemed her an 'ugly itch' from 'ghettohood, USA'.

Chick-Fil-A In Hot Water

Chick-Fil-A garnered national attention after a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/chick-fil-a-ching-chong-r_n_1146266.html" target="_hplink">customer snapped a photo</a> of two receipts that had labeled Asian-American customers as 'Ching' and 'Chong'.
Chick-Fil-A garnered national attention after a customer snapped a photo of two receipts that had labeled Asian-American customers as 'Ching' and 'Chong'.

Walmart Customers Find Jesus

A couple claimed their <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/18/jesus-in-walmart-receipt_n_901548.html" target="_hplink">Walmart receipt contained the face of the Son of God</a>.
A couple claimed their Walmart receipt contained the face of the Son of God.

Now THAT'S An Account Balance

An ATM customer found this surprising receipt still in the machine. The receipt, which shows a whopping <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/30/100-million-atm-receipt_n_887993.html" target="_hplink">balance of nearly $100 million</a>, supposedly belonged to hedge fund manager David Tepper.
An ATM customer found this surprising receipt still in the machine. The receipt, which shows a whopping balance of nearly $100 million, supposedly belonged to hedge fund manager David Tepper.

Server Has Choice Words For Kids

A server at a Chichos Pizza <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/21/high-as-shit-kids-receipt_n_1291724.html" target="_hplink">restaurant labeled his customers</a> as 'high as shit kids'. Fortunately, the customers had a sense of humor and posted the receipt to Reddit to much fanfare.
A server at a Chichos Pizza restaurant labeled his customers as 'high as shit kids'. Fortunately, the customers had a sense of humor and posted the receipt to Reddit to much fanfare.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

Latest Stories

  • Where is President Trump going to live after he leaves office?

    Since he changed his legal address from Trump Tower in New York City to his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., some have assumed that’s where he'll go after leaving Washington. There’s just one problem.

  • Key U.S. lawmaker backs idea of a global agreement to govern Big Tech

    A key U.S. lawmaker endorsed the idea of an international agreement to govern the principles and standards for tech giants like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple.

  • Project Veritas’ New CNN Bombshell: Jeff Zucker Thinks Rudy Giuliani Is ‘Crazy’

    Earlier this week, Project Veritas released the first of what it promised would be many shocking revelations from CNN’s internal editorial meetings, which founder James O’Keefe appears to have infiltrated and recorded over the course of several weeks.First, the right-wing group tried to make hay out of the fact that one high-level CNN staffer considered Fox News host Tucker Carlson to be racist—while simultaneously misidentifying the staffer in question. Their latest bombshell? CNN President Jeff Zucker thinks Rudy Giuliani is “crazy.”According to Project Veritas’ website, O’Keefe believes it will be “virtually impossible for the American public to take CNN’s reporting seriously after listening to these tapes.” And yet, once again, nothing that Zucker has said should surprise anyone who has been paying attention to Giuliani, especially in the weeks since Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden.“There is a term for what Rudy Giuliani is suspected of being, which is ‘useful idiot,’” a voice identified as Zucker’s can be heard saying in a tape made just a couple of days after the man formerly known as “America’s mayor” started pushing material supposedly obtained from Hunter Biden’s laptop.He goes on to call Giuliani’s efforts to undermine the election a “really important story,” adding, “It gets tied to the Hunter Biden email disinformation campaign. That’s the way we do this, because it’s all tied and part-and-parcel of one. I know Washington is working on putting that all together.”In a more recent call, when another staff member suggests that the “real craziness is the client,” referring to President Trump, “not the lawyers,” the voice ID’d as Zucker agrees before saying, “I think you raise a good point about not just pawning it off on the crazy legal team, but the client is the one who is directing the crazy legal team.”Other comments from Zucker that seem to have outraged Project Veritas concern the baseless allegations of pedophilia against Biden that circulated online, especially among QAnon Facebook groups, in the run-up to the election.“The president of the United States has just retweeted a post accusing Joe Biden of being a pedophile to his 86 million followers which is just beyond,” he says on another tape. “You know it also is just unacceptable that the president of the United States is trafficking in this and doing it.”Once again, an exposé intended to make Zucker and CNN look bad has only revealed that they are simply adhering to reality.Project Veritas’ CNN Sting Uncovers Explosive News That Tucker Carlson Is RacistRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Feds: Militia leader pointed rifle at officers in Kentucky

    The leader of a pro-gun group that stages armed protests against police violence has been charged with pointing a rifle at federal officers while in Kentucky for a demonstration. John F. Johnson, who calls himself “Grandmaster Jay,” is facing a federal charge of assaulting task force officers. A complaint filed in federal court in Louisville said Johnson pointed a rifle, which had a flashlight mounted to it, at officers who were on a roof in downtown Louisville on Sept. 4.

  • Iran open to further prisoner swaps - foreign minister

    Iran is ready to engage in further prisoner swaps after last week exchanging a jailed British-Australian academic with three Iranians detained abroad, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday. "We can always engage in that, it is in the interests of everybody," Zarif told an Italian diplomatic conference speaking via video-link. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a specialist in Middle East politics at the University of Melbourne, had been serving a 10-year sentence for alleged espionage when she was freed on Nov. 25.

  • Trump reportedly derailed a GOP meeting about the Georgia Senate runoffs by praising QAnon

    President Trump reportedly needs no encouragement to start praising the dangerous, baseless QAnon conspiracy theory.The most pressing matter for federal Republicans right now is the upcoming Senate runoffs in Georgia, which will determine control of the body. But in a meeting with advisers and top Senate Republicans about that matter, Trump totally derailed the conversation by bringing up QAnon, people familiar with the discussion tell The Washington Post.Trump is reportedly not thrilled with Georgia and that fact that it flipped for President-elect Joe Biden, and is publicly upset with Republican leaders in the state who haven't somehow overturned the election for him. So even though Republican advisers say Trump's help is "key to convincing his die-hard supporters to vote for Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue" in the January runoff election, the president isn't thrilled about doing so, the Post reports. "Advisers say he has been frustrated at how some GOP senators have criticized him," leading Trump to appear "disinterested" when discussing Senate campaign plans, the Post continues.That was clear in a recent meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Todd C. Young (R-Ind.), and other aides. As they discussed Georgia's Senate races, Trump brought up the QAnon-supporting soon-to-be congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump mispronounced the name of the group as "Q-an-uhn," and then said supporters of the theory that purports Democrats are a cannibalistic, pedophilic cabal "basically believe in good government," people familiar tell the Post. Everyone reportedly went silent until White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows mentioned he had "never heard it described that way," the Post reports.Trump has been asked to denounce QAnon several times, but usually gives the theory his tacit approval instead.More stories from theweek.com 5 absurdly funny cartoons about Trump's desperate fraud claims Biden says he's concerned about reports Trump is considering preemptive pardons Sri Lankan man and his mobile library bring books to kids in remote areas

  • Former Bill Clinton associate claims ex-president did visit Jeffrey Epstein’s private island

    Former US president Bill Clinton did visit Jeffrey Epstein's infamous private island despite his claims to the contrary, his former associate has claimed. Doug Band, who worked for Mr Clinton for around two decades, claimed the former president flew on Epstein's jet dozens of times and visited the convicted sex offender's private Carribean island in January 2003. Although ignorant of Epstein's crimes at the time, Mr Band claimed in an interview with Vanity Fair that he attempted to keep his boss away from the financier after a 2002 trip to Africa. Mr Band told the magazine the trip had left him with a bad impression of Epstein and he advised Mr Clinton to end his relationship with the multimillionaire financier. The two men were friends in the 2000s, with Mr Clinton taking several trips on Epstein’s private jet, which has come to be known as the "Lolita express" after it was alleged that the financier used the jet to traffic underage girls between his various properties.

  • 10 Remote Airbnbs As Stunning As They Are Secluded

    From a private island to a tiny Vermont tree houseOriginally Appeared on Architectural Digest

  • Kamala Harris’ role: Biden says he will assign his vice president the ‘urgent need of the moment’

    President-elect Joe Biden laid out his vision for his soon-to-be vice president’s role, saying Kamala Harris will be asked to take on “the urgent need of the moment” rather than pursue her own policy agenda. “I headed the [2009] recovery act not because that’s what I said I wanted to do,” Mr Biden said Thursday night of his tenure as vice president – but because then-President Barack Obama instructed him to be the lead negotiator with Congress. “I have confidence in turning to her” to handle the “urgent need of the moment.”

  • Drug bust yields 1,700 pounds of marijuana worth $15M

    Connecticut police arrested two men and seized an estimated $15 million in marijuana after discovering a storage facility was being used illegally as a hub for pot distribution in the Northeast, authorities said Thursday. West Haven police said local officers and agents with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration found 1,700 pounds (770 kilograms) of marijuana on Wednesday when they stopped a U-Haul truck while investigating what they called an international marijuana trafficking operation. “The investigation revealed that individuals were utilizing a storage facility in West Haven as a hub to distribute large quantities of marijuana throughout the tri-state area,” West Haven police said in a statement, referring to the area that includes Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

  • Southern California wildfire burning out of control — and will for days to come

    The Bond Fire started with flames at one home, before it reached nearby vegetation and spread out of control.

  • Trump gives 45-minute speech about voter fraud — which 1 analyst says he'd be making in court if it had any merit

    President Trump has combined dozens of his favorite conspiracy theories about the 2020 election into one incredibly debunked Facebook video.In a 45-minute video posted Wednesday, Trump repeated debunked lie after lie about the 2020 election, including claims that Dominion voting machines were rigged; Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security had looked into claims about the machines changing ballots and found no evidence. Trump also falsely suggested mail-in ballots were somehow rigged against him, despite it being known before the election that mail-in ballots would tend to go for President-elect Joe Biden, and that there have been no instances of widespread fraud found since.Trump made several more false claims throughout the video, but because it was pre-recorded, there was no chance for the press to question him.> Making this speech full of blatantly false attempts to undermine the election in a Twitter video rather than at the White House means the president doesn't have to face questions about his comments from the press. He has almost entirely avoided questions since election night. https://t.co/iiHMyEDeLr> > -- Hunter Walker (@hunterw) December 2, 2020One question that might be asked is why Trump isn't heading to court with these seemingly serious claims, as the team leading his legal challenges in several states has yet to bring forward compelling evidence. Republican pollster and consultant Frank Luntz had an answer: It's because they don't have any "substance." > If the claims had substance, he would be presenting them in a courtroom - not a Facebook video. https://t.co/tgfTUm1Zg7> > -- Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) December 2, 2020More stories from theweek.com 5 absurdly funny cartoons about Trump's desperate fraud claims Biden says he's concerned about reports Trump is considering preemptive pardons Trump reportedly derailed a GOP meeting about the Georgia Senate runoffs by praising QAnon

  • Joe Biden asks Anthony Fauci, the federal coronavirus expert, to become his chief medical adviser

    Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been a top official dealing with the pandemic.

  • VP-elect Harris picks Tina Flournoy to be her chief of staff

    Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has named Tina Flournoy, a veteran Democratic strategist and aide to the Clintons, as her chief of staff, the transition team announced Thursday. Flournoy's appointment as Harris' top staffer adds to a team of advisers led by Black women. Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage, is the nation's first female vice president.

  • Man, 41, had no teeth and could barely speak after his mother locked him in their suburban apartment for 28 years, say reports

    A 70-year-old Swedish woman has been arrested for imprisoning her son in her Stockholm flat. He was found by a relative covered in wounds and pus.

  • Wisconsin Supreme Court rebuffs Trump challenge to election results

    Trump's team filed the petition, which challenged Wisconsin's election results and sought to invalidate 221,323 absentee ballots, directly to the state's top court on Tuesday. President-Elect Joe Biden won the majority of votes in Wisconsin, edging Trump out by about 20,000 votes, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

  • Minneapolis mayor: Private fund will transform public safety

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and local business owners announced plans Thursday to create a private fund for new programs designed to change public safety. There have been numerous calls to transform the Minneapolis Police Department since the May 25 death of George Floyd. Frey said the fund, called the Minneapolis Community Safety Innovation Fund, is a way for the city to make changes without cutting the police force, the Star Tribune reported.

  • Azerbaijan says 2,783 killed in Karabakh conflict

    Azerbaijan said on Thursday (December 3) that at least 2,783 of its soldiers were killed during its recent conflict with ethnic Armenian forces over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan, who until now had not disclosed any of its military losses in the conflict, also revealed that more than 100 of its troops were still missing. The conflict broke out at the end of September and came to a halt on November 10th when a Russian-brokered peace deal ushered in a ceasefire. Huge amounts of territory in Nagorno-Karabakh previously controlled by ethnic Armenians were handed over to Azerbaijan. Baku forces also captured areas it had previously lost in an earlier war during the 1990s. Armenia is yet to disclose a final death toll for its military, but a health ministry official confirmed in the middle of last month that at least 2,317 soldiers had been killed.

  • Ex-Hong Kong lawmaker asks Europe to provide 'safe haven'

    A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist who is visiting Denmark urged European nations on Wednesday to allow protesters in Hong Kong "a safe haven from the terror” of China's Communist Party. “The situation in Hong Kong is getting worse by the day and it is important that the world knows that Hong Kong is no longer a free city,” Ted Hui said in an email to The Associated Press. Britain has extended residency rights for up to 3 million Hong Kongers eligible for British National Overseas passports, allowing them to live and work there for five years.

  • Attorney for Jared Kushner and a Trump fundraiser investigated by DOJ in alleged bribery-for-pardon scheme

    The New York Times reported that a lawyer for President Trump's son-in-law was investigated by the Justice Department this summer.