Kanye West was tapped as a speaker at the recent Cannes Lions Festival in France, and while there, he happened to say a few words about his wedding photography and why it took four days to get a wedding photo together. The comments have become a headline in and of themselves, making it seem like 'Ye is upset with Annie Leibovitz for not being his wedding photographer, and claiming she's scared of "celebrity."
Today Yeezy and the famed photographer clear the air with an official joint statement. The sensationalized headlines seems to have ruffled both their feathers.
Kanye's initial words, which he alleges were taken out of context, were: "This is pissing my girl off during the honeymoon. Annie Leibovitz pulled out right before the wedding—maybe she was scared about the idea of celebrity... But I still wanted my wedding photos to look like Annie Leibovitz. Now, can you imagine telling someone who just wants to Instagram a photo, the No. 1 person on Instagram, that we need to work on the color of the flowered wall? But the fact that the No. 1 most liked photo has this certain aesthetic on it was a win for what the mission is—of raising the palette."
Their joint statement can be read in full below.
JOINT STATEMENT FROM KANYE WEST & ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
Kanye West’s comments about Annie Leibovitz while speaking at the 2014 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival have been taken out of context and sensationalized.
Although Kanye expressed frustration that he was not able to collaborate with Annie Leibovitz at his recent wedding, he is not assigning blame, and is not accusing Annie in any way. Kanye and Annie’s representatives were in negotiations for weeks that were not completed by the time of the wedding.
“Annie would have been happy to do the portrait but she was never confirmed," said a representative for Leibovitz.
It was Kanye’s dream to bring together for the wedding his favorite creatives – Ricardo Tisci on the dress, Vanessa Beecroft on the experience, and Andrea Bocelli – Kim’s favorite singer - singing Kim’s favorite song as she walked down the aisle. The first choice to capture one of the most special days in Kim and Kanye’s life: Annie Leibovitz.
Annie Leibovitz – the legendary photographer responsible for Kim and Kanye’s recent Vogue cover – is not known to shoot weddings. But Kanye West dreams big. He loves and respects Annie as a true artist and wanted to bring her eye for beauty to the imagery of the event. In his Cannes Lions panel with Steve Stoute and tech guru godfather Ben Horowitz, Kanye was referencing Annie as an example of how to merge culture and tech.
"Picture this,” said Kanye. “The most-liked Instagram photo of all time, shot by Annie Leibovitz. Oh, I’m sorry for dreaming out loud. Again.”
