KUALA LUMPUR — Cantopop singer Eason Chan may have to fork out HK$60 million (S$10.4 million) as compensation for cutting ties with sportswear brand Adidas.
Hong Kong’s hk01.com reported that Chan had been working with the brand for 10 years before the 46-year-old’s recent decision to cut working ties after a group of clothing brands rejected cotton produced in China’s Xinjiang amidst claims of forced labour, including Adidas.
He signed the lifetime contract to be the brand’s global ambassador in 2011, one of the few entertainers to be signed up by the brand and his decision to stop working with the brand is considered a breach of contract.
A source told the portal that the compensation could go as high as HK$60 million.
Neither Adidas nor Chan have publicly addressed the matter.
Chan recently issued a statement distancing himself from Adidas, boycotting any behaviour vilifying China.
Adidas, Nike and H&M have come under fire from mainland social media users and state media, after the brands expressed concern about reports of forced labour in the north-west region.
The brands are members of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) that promotes sustainable cotton production. /TISG