On Thursday (April 4), Beyoncé announced a game-changing partnership with Adidas, sharing with fans that she will be working as a creative partner for a new apparel and sneaker line, as well as will be reviving her Ivy Park brand.
Following the news of the destined-to-be-iconic partnership, ESPN writer Nick DePaula revealed that the sportswear brand was not the only company the global superstar entertained working with.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “The Jump,” DePaula recalled how he heard that the Grammy Award-winning artist initially met with Reebok but was quick to dismiss the potential of working with the company after pointing out the brand’s lack of diversity among its staff.
“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,” DePaula began. “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?’”
Continued DePaula: “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.”
As the fellow co-hosts commended Beyoncé for her decision to not just advocate on behalf of inclusivity but to follow through with her actions, it was also noted how admirable it is that the work the multifaceted entertainer does is a reflection of both her own legacy and the example she is choosing to set for others.
“For her, it really goes beyond that. It’s not just about putting her name on a shoe and here’s the new Adidas Beyonce 1, or whatever they end up calling it,” he concluded. “It’s about having an imprint on the company and an impact in terms of diversity.”
A recent example of Beyoncé’s dedication to advocating on behalf of diversity and inclusion can be found in her decision to enlist Tyler Mitchell to shoot the magazine’s September 2018 cover photo. In turn, Mitchell became the first black photographer to shoot a cover in the magazine’s 126-year history.
Take a look at ESPN’s Nick DePaula recalling Beyoncé’s decision to reportedly walk out of a meeting with Reebok in the video clip below.