Kanye West, 44, won’t be on Instagram for 24 hours. The rapper was suspended from the social media platform per their parent company Meta on Wednesday, March 16 after a post that targeted Trevor Noah. The post quoted “Kumbaya, My Lord,” but changed lyrics to include a racial slur aimed at the South African host.
Mark Zuckerberg‘s Meta (formerly known as Facebook) confirmed the suspension to TMZ, citing a violation of their policies pertaining to hate speech, harassment and bullying — adding that they will take further steps if the violations continue. HollywoodLife has also reached out for a statement. The suspension means that Kanye will not be able to do anything he’s normally be able to do on Instagram, which includes posting, liking, commenting or even sending DMs to other people. Notably, it’s rare for Meta to make this move — but they have in the past with Donald Trump.
The targeted post came after Trevor discussed Kimye’s contentious split on The Daily Show. “What’s weird about the situation is Kanye West has told us that he struggles with his mental health,” he said on his daily Comedy Central series. “So I get it, you wanna have art as therapy. But here’s what’s weird that Kanye doesn’t understand. It’s like, what we are seeing is — it makes you uncomfortable,” the 38-year-old said.
Trevor Noah On The Kanye West And Kim Kardashian Online Fight Regarding Kim Dating Pete Davidson. #BBMzansi #wednesdaythought
Mohale, Somizi, Cass, 512 GB
Dudu, Durban, Yeezus, Accounting pic.twitter.com/EOLTvjtMUY— Sir Walker 👑 (@Walker_Rocker) March 16, 2022
“With Kanye, we don’t know how to feel. We don’t know how to worry. I think Kanye doesn’t seem to understand that. He goes, ‘Leave me to create my art.’ Yeah but Kanye, you told us you have problems. Now when we worry about that, you say we shouldn’t worry because it’s not [his] problem. Or it is [his] problems? Which is it?” he questioned, seemingly referencing Ye’s video “Eazy” where be buries an animated Pete Davidson, 28.
Pete has been the main target of Kanye’s on-going social media posts as his romance with Kim Kardashian progresses. Just last weekend, Kanye said he was “antagonized” by the SNL cast member with a photo of Pete allegedly “in bed” with Kim. In the texts between Pete and Ye, which where shared via Pete’s friend Dave Sirus, the photo was present along with a text that said he was “in bed with your wife.” Pete also offered to help Kanye get mental health support if he desires it.
Noah also referenced Kim in his monologue. “Two things can be true. Kim likes publicity. Kim is also being harassed. “I see a woman who wants to live her life without being harassed,” he said on-air.
Trevor also responded to Kanye’s racial slur post with a long Instagram caption that appears to have been deleted. “There are few artists who have had more of an impact on me than you Ye. You took samples and turned them into symphonies. You took your pain and through the wire turned it into performance perfection. I thought differently about how I spend my money because of you, I learned to protect my child-like creativity from grown thoughts because of you, s— I still smile every time I put on my seatbelt because of you,” he penned.
Trevor Noah just responded to Kanye West pic.twitter.com/Df3hgJBLKk
— Thandanani Mbambo (@Abobo99) March 16, 2022
“You’re an indelible part of my life Ye. Which is why it breaks my heart to see you like this. I don’t care if you support Trump and I don’t care if you roast Pete. I do however care when I see you on a path that’s dangerously close to peril and pain,” he continued. “Clearly some people graduate but we still stupid. Don’t ever forget, the biggest trick racists ever played on Black people was teaching us to strip each other of our Blackness whenever we disagree. Tricking us into dividing ourselves up into splinters so that we would never unite into a powerful rod,” he said regarding the slur.