Kanye West's Donda Academy reportedly closes in Simi Valley amid fallout over antisemitic remarks
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Kanye West's Donda Academy, the private school that he founded, has reportedly closed as the fallout continues following his antisemitic remarks, which prompted a number of companies and individuals to speak out against him.
According to a report from The Times of London, the Simi Valley school closed effective immediately. A post by West that has since been deleted appeared to confirm that report, but no other details were available.
That report appears to be based off an email sent to parents. It reads, in part: "Dear Donda Academy Families- we hope this email finds you well. First we would like to express our gratitude for the community of families and scholars that Donda Academy brought together. However, at the direction of our Founder, Donda Academy will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately."
A news photographer at the scene Thursday morning captured video of the property, which appeared to be deserted. A number of notices from delivery carriers, dated Sept. 27, 30 and Oct. 12 , were also seen on a trespassing sign on a chain-link fence.
Mary Lipari, who has a home near the academy, says the location has been closed since last year.
"It opened in late August of 2021, and it was open through Thanksgiving of the same year and then they abandoned the property," she said.
Lipari added that she believes the property was abandoned over an issue of replacing windows to meet earthquake safety standards.
"My understanding was that the windows weren't to earthquake standards and they were going to have to replace the windows, so that was the story I was told," Lipari said. "And then they couldn't get them -- it was going to take like six months to get the windows."
Eyewitness News reached out to Ventura County code enforcement officials to verify if the property faced code violations but have yet to receive a response.
Lipari says although the academy was briefly open, she enjoyed the students and met the rapper at the property.
The rapper, whose legal name is Ye, took to Instagram late Wednesday night in a post directed toward Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor Talent Agency, who urged companies to cut ties with him.
In the post, he wrote about how lost $2 billion in one day but that he's still alive. He went on to say the money is not who he is, but that it's more about the people.
The rapper's post came after he had to be escorted off the Skechers headquarters in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday. According to a statement by the footwear company, West arrived "unannounced and without invitation."
"Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation," read the statement.
The company confirmed it's not considering and has no intention of working with the rapper.
