Kanye West takes out newspaper advert to apologise for his antisemitism
Kanye West has taken out a newspaper advert in order to apologise for his antisemitic comments, saying his past behaviours now feel like an 'out-of-body experience'.
The rapper, currently known as 'Ye', took out an ad in The Wall Street Journal titled 'To Those I’ve Hurt', which went on to ask for forgiveness over his previous offensive comments and behaviours.
West has faced numerous allegations of antisemitism in the past couple of years, with the 'Stronger' hitmaker being condemned for incidents such as selling t-shirts emblazoned with swastikas, releasing a track titled 'Heil Hitler' and promoting Holocaust-denial.
However, the 48-year-old has now come forward to apologise for his previous actions and comments, blaming the outbursts on neurological injuries he'd sustained in a car crash back in 2002.
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"25 years ago I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain," he wrote, going on to explain that although his physical injuries had been treated, 'the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.'
He went on to write that he wasn't aware of the injury until 2023, claiming the 'medical oversight' is what led to his bipolar diagnosis.
Ye went on to say that he ignored the diagnosis and that it was in his 'fractured state' that he began selling the swastika shirts.
"I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people," he wrote. "I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though."
He also wrote candidly about his struggles with mental illness, revealing that he'd experienced a 'four-month manic episode' in early 2025, which saw him hit rock bottom.
He was then encouraged to seek treatment by his wife Bianca Censori and now credits his clarity to a combination of an 'effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living'.
"I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home," he added.
Read Kanye West's apology letter in full, below:
"To Those I’ve Hurt:
"Twenty-five years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain. At the time, the focus was on the visible damage – the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.
"Comprehensive scans were not done, neurological exams were limited, and the possibility of a frontal-lobe injury was never raised.
"It wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023. That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis.
"Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting. You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.
"Once people label you as “crazy,” you feel as if you cannot contribute anything meaningful to the world. It’s easy for people to joke and laugh it off when in fact this is a very serious debilitating disease you can die from.
"According to the World Health Organization and Cambridge University, people with bipolar disorder have a life expectancy that is shortened by 10 to 15 years on average, and a 2x-3x higher all-cause mortality rate than the general population. This is on par with severe heart disease, type 1 diabetes, HIV, and cancer – all lethal and fatal if left untreated.
"The scariest thing about this disorder is how persuasive it is when it tells you: You don’t need help. It makes you blind, but convinced you have insight. You feel powerful, certain, unstoppable.
"I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.
"In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it. One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments - many of which I still cannot recall - that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience.
"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.
"To the black community - which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times. The black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.
"In early 2025, I fell into a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life. As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore.
"Having bipolar disorder is notable state of constant mental illness. When you go into a manic episode, you are ill at that point. When you are not in an episode, you are completely “normal”. And that’s when the wreckage from the illness hits the hardest. Hitting rock bottom a few months ago, my wife encouraged me to finally get help.
"I have found comfort in Reddit forums of all places. Different people speak of being in manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature. I read their stories and realised that I was not alone. It’s not just me who ruins their entire life once a year despite taking meds every day and being told by the so-called best doctors in the world that I am not bipolar, but merely experiencing “symptoms of autism”.
"My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.
"As I find my new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity. I am pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design and other new ideas to help the world.
"I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.
With love,
Ye"
If you are the victim of an antisemitic incident or you have information regarding an antisemitic incident that happened to somebody else, contact the CST National Emergency Number on 0800 032 3263. In an emergency, always call 999.
Topics: Kanye West, Celebrity, Music
Brenna Cooper