A full-page advertisement appeared in today’s Wall Street Journal, black text on white paper, carrying an apology from Kanye West to “those I’ve hurt” over his antisemitic comments and behaviour in recent years. The rapper, who now goes by Ye, used the platform to detail what he described as a “four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life” earlier this year.
The lengthy statement addressed his use of swastika imagery, his declaration that he was “a Nazi,” and the broader fallout from his actions. “I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it,” West wrote. “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.” He went on to apologize specifically to the Black community, writing, “I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.”
West revealed new details about his mental health, including a bipolar type-1 diagnosis that he said stemmed from a car accident 25 years ago. He claimed the crash caused injury to the right frontal lobe of his brain but wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023. “That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis,” he wrote. West had previously dismissed the diagnosis last year, calling it “really a case of autism.”
The rapper described hitting “rock bottom a few months ago” before his wife encouraged him to seek help. He’s now on medication, in therapy, and focused on “clean living.” West acknowledged the severity of bipolar disorder, citing statistics from the World Health Organization showing people with the condition have a life expectancy shortened by 10 to 15 years. “The scariest thing about this disorder is how persuasive it is when it tells you: You don’t need help,” he wrote.
West’s controversies began in earnest in 2022 when he made antisemitic comments and wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week. The fallout led to Adidas, Balenciaga, and Gap severing ties with him. He was suspended from X/Twitter after posting a swastika inside a Star of David and had his Instagram account locked for violating platform guidelines.
“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” West concluded. “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
Photo – Steve Gerrard
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