‘Friends‘ star David Schwimmer has publicly condemned Elon Musk for allowing Kanye West to continue spreading antisemitic rhetoric on X (formerly Twitter). In a scathing Instagram post, Schwimmer called out both Musk and the lack of widespread outrage over West’s controversial statements.
Schwimmer: “Silence is Complicity”
Schwimmer’s post directly addressed Musk, urging him to take action:
“We can’t stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate-filled, ignorant bile… but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk.”
The actor emphasised the dangers of West’s influence, citing his massive following on X:
“Kanye West has 32.7 million followers on your platform, X. That’s twice as many people than the number of Jews in existence. His sick hate speech results in REAL LIFE violence against Jews.”
Schwimmer also condemned West for openly embracing Nazi ideology, writing:
“I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that he identifies as a Nazi (which implies he wants to exterminate ALL marginalized communities including his own), or the fact that there is not sufficient OUTRAGE to remove and ban him from all social media at this point. Silence is complicity.”
Kanye West’s controversial posts and Musk’s response
West recently posted—and later deleted—multiple antisemitic and racially charged statements, including:
- “Jewish people actually hate white people and use black people.”
- “I love Hitler. Now what, bitches?”
These remarks echo his previous antisemitic tirades, which led to his ban from X in December 2022 after he posted an image of a swastika intertwined with a Star of David. At that time, Musk removed West from the platform, but he was later reinstated.
Despite the growing backlash, Musk has yet to ban West again. Instead, he recently unfollowed the rapper, a move many—including Schwimmer—believe is not enough.
Piers Morgan and others weigh in
British journalist Piers Morgan also condemned West’s statements, sharing a screenshot of one of the rapper’s now-deleted posts – as shown below –and calling it “shocking, disgusting anti-Semitism.”
Another X user agreed with Schwimmer’s stance, stating:
“David Schwimmer calls out Kanye West & thinks he should be banned completely from all social media. I agree 100%. He’s inciting hate & violence towards the Jewish community & this cannot be allowed! I also think the FBI should start an investigation. Kanye is a danger to society.”
West’s response: no regrets, full support for Musk
West, unfazed by the criticism, posted on X:
“I gotta give Elon his flowers for allowing my fuckery. It’s a whole new world. I gotta say, Elon’s a real n—a for this.”
This suggests that West believes Musk will continue allowing him to use the platform despite his history of inflammatory remarks.
Will Musk finally take action?
Schwimmer’s call to ban West entirely from X highlights a broader debate over social media’s role in amplifying hate speech. With past bans on figures like Alex Jones and Donald Trump for inciting violence, critics argue that West’s continued presence on the platform contradicts Musk’s supposed commitment to free speech with limits.
As the controversy unfolds, all eyes are on Starlink’s founder Musk to see whether he will take stronger action—or allow West to continue using X as a megaphone for his extremist views.