Don’t blame Beyoncé in Green debacle

BEYONCE has reportedly ended her working relationship with Arcadia’s Philip Green. She is buying back his share in Ivy Park, the sportswear brand she launched with Topshop in 2016, for an undisclosed fee.

Beyoncé is a one-woman mega-brand (estimated worth £258 million), a woman for whom a clothing line is essentially an extracurricular activity. Amid all the the Green furore, she was singled out: many commentators — especially women — were disappointed the singer hadn’t called it quits with him.

Saying that, when it comes to Topshop, friends are divided. Some separate the man from the brand; other hardliners think a boycott of the shop is necessary. I fall into the former camp: a boycott damages people — many of them women — who work there, far more than it does Green.

Ultimately, it’s not fair to misdirect direct fury at Beyoncé. Though there is a particular pleasure in watching all Green’s famous friends abandon him.