Donda Academy, Kanye West’s arts and music school, has closed unexpectedly
On Wednesday night, it was reported that the private school that was founded by the musician formerly known as Kanye West would be closing its doors, but on Thursday, it was reported that the school may have reopened.
According to Hollywood Unlocked, the principal notified parents of the emergency closure via email.
On Wednesday, the school announced that it would be closing for the balance of the 2022-2023 school year, effective immediately.
According to the email, classes would resume in the fall of 2023.
At midnight, TMZ reports, parents received another email declaring the school open “with a vengeance” due to the efforts of parents and community members.
There was no explanation in the statement, which was signed by “Parents of Donda,” for the decision to reopen or who had made it. The parent company of KTLA, Nexstar, has contacted Donda Academy to ask for comment.
Ye opened up the Christian-based Donda Academy in 2022, although it is not recognized by the government.
According to its website, the academy’s mission is to “be a reflection of God’s glory in the world.” Its original location was in unincorporated Ventura County, while some sources place it near Chatsworth.
ESPN and the British publication The Times both covered the news of its shutdown.
While the first email did not specify the reasons for the closure, Ye has been under fire for antisemitic comments, which may be a contributing factor.
Earlier this month, the artist tweeted that he was planning to shortly implement “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent allusion to the U.S. defense preparedness state scale known as DEFCON.
Because of his antisemitic comments, Instagram and Twitter banned him.
The German athletic apparel company Adidas severed relations with West, also known as Ye, earlier this week.