Following the recent sexual harassment and bullying allegations surrounding Topshop chairman Sir Philip Green, BBC reports that Beyoncé is ending her partnership with the businessman by buying back her sportswear brand, Ivy Park. However, it’s unclear if the two events are directly related.
In a statement released on Thursday, the company announced, “After discussion of almost a year, Parkwood has reacquired 100% of the Ivy Park brand. Topshop/Arcadia will fulfill the existing orders.”
Originally the entertainer and business tycoon were equal partners in the label, sharing a 50 percent stake. The 37-year-old first announced that she would be collaborating with Green on an athleisure line back in 2014. Just two years later, the sportswear line, which was named after the singer’s daughter, Blue Ivy, made its debut at Topshop.
The BBC reports that campaign group Equality Now initially called for Beyoncé to part ways with Green, citing that the partnership went against her feminist principles.
“Beyoncé has put herself forward as a women’s rights activist,” Yasmeen Hassan, an activist from the group, said in October. “She and her team need to look closely at these allegations.”
