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Beyonce Walked Out Of Reebok Meeting Due To Lack Of Diversity

By Ashley Turner
Published on: 04:24 PST, Apr 5, 2019

In her immeasurably successful career, Beyonce has made it clear that she “runs the world,” especially when it comes to business and her brand. One footwear and apparel company clearly didn’t get the memo.

Sports journalist Nick DePaula joined ESPN’s The Jump to discuss the global superstar’s landmark deal with Adidas, reports Page Six. According to DePaula, she was approached by other sportswear brands prior to inking the partnership, with offers from Nike and Under Armour among those reportedly on the table.

The singer apparently had plans to move forward with Reebok, but reportedly walked out of a meeting after highlighting the pitch team’s absence of diversity and nonexistent representation of her background and skin color.

“Throughout this process over the last year or two, she had discussed with Under Armour, with Reebok as well, Jordan [at Nike] at one point was interested in maybe partnering with her. She had a meeting at Reebok and they had a whole presentation of everything, potential products, how this could all look, and she kind of took a step back and said, ‘Is this the team that will be working on my product?’

“Somebody said, ‘Yes,’ and she said, ‘Nobody in this room reflects my background, my skin color and where I’m from and what I want to do.’ So she took a step back and left and then it did not come to terms.”

DePaula continued, noting that for Beyonce, her business ventures go beyond simply creating hype and hoarding endorsement deals. In the end, the multitalented talented performer wants a campaign that will have an imprint on the company and an impact on diversity.

According to Page Six, Adidas announced Thursday that it had signed Beyonce as its new creative partner.

The pop star will develop brand-new product lines for the sportswear corporation including shoes and clothing encompassing styles ranging from performance to lifestyle.

Adidas also said it will relaunch Beyonce’s personal activewear line Ivy Park, which was introduced through Topshop in 2016. The artist is retaining ownership of the brand and will debut a program “aimed at empowering the next generation of athletes and creatives” by “driving positive change in the world through sport.”

Beyonce stated in a press release that the deal was “the partnership of a lifetime,” and she and the athletic company share similar philosophies that prioritize creativity, growth, and social responsibility in business. The Grammy winner added that she also looked forward to relaunching a globally expanded Ivy Park alongside a confident, competent leader.

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