I know this situation leaves many of you feeling drained, frustrated and unheard.

Not only are some of Joe Rogan’s comments incredibly hurtful – I want to make clear that they do not represent the values of this company.

There are no words I can say to adequately convey how deeply sorry I am for the way The Joe Rogan Experience controversy continues to impact each of you. “While some might want us to pursue a different path, I believe that more speech on more issues can be highly effective in improving the status quo and enhancing the conversation altogether,” Ek said. In his letter to staff, Ek said he would be committing to an “incremental investment of $100 million for the licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups” to boost “all types of creators,” including those from underrepresented backgrounds. The site noted that a total of 113 episodes - which includes the 71 taken down on Friday - have been removed from Spotify. On Friday, 71 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience were removed from Spotify, according to the website JRE Missing, which tracks when the podcast episodes are missing from the streaming platform. Last Thursday, the musician India.Arie - who has said she will remove her music and podcast from Spotify in protest of Rogan’s comments about race - resurfaced a compilation of video clips showing Rogan using the racial slur and describing being with Black people as akin to “Planet of the Apes.” The podcaster apologized over the weekend, calling his comments “regretful and shameful.”

Spotify's Top Audiobooks Executive to Depart for 'New Project In the Startup Space'

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