Meaning behind Kanye West's bizarre crucifix mask he wore at the Super Bowl

Kanye West hid his face with a bizarre-looking crucifix mask at Super Bowl 2024 on Sunday (11 February) and people have been speculating over what it means.

The controversial fashion mogul witnessed the Kansas City Chiefs becoming the first back-to-back Super Bowl winners in 19 years with a 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

It was the second time in NFL history a Super Bowl went to overtime and the first post-season game decided under the league’s new overtime rules.

The likes of Alicia Keys, Lil John and Ludacris joined Usher on-stage during the half-time performance, while Taylor Swift and Blake Lively were among the celebs watching from the stands.

The romance between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop superstar Swift was clearly helping drive interest in this year's Super Bowl, as the pair shared a heartwarming kiss after the win.

Now, a man who has had a strange relationship with Swift throughout the years is Kanye West as he turned heads on Sunday after rocking up in a crucifix mask.

@kanyewest/Instagram

11 February marked the 14th anniversary since the death of fashion icon Alexander McQueen and the head piece was from the designer’s fall 1996 'Dante' collection.

We think the 46-year-old was paying tribute to McQueen.

The getup was paired with a stretchier headpiece and an all-black fit with a leather jacket.

Ye attended the game with his wife Bianca Censori, who wore a black latex head covering and a leather coat.

This comes after the rapper's apology to the Jewish community in December, following a long history of antisemitic remarks.

Kanye has admitted in the past that he 'likes Adolf Hitler' and has an admiration for Nazis.

“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions,” Ye wrote in Hebrew on his Instagram page.

“It was not my intention to offend or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused.”

The American Jewish Committee, however, criticised Ye’s use of Hebrew.

“Beyond being bizarre and possibly a ploy to gain more attention, the Hebrew apology — posted without translation — is inaccessible to most American Jews who do not speak the language,” the AJC said.

“To be sure, using Hebrew to communicate with the Jewish community intentionally denies most American Jews— and, consequently, non-Jews—the ability to directly see Kanye’s apology.”

Gotham/Getty

“While he claims that he is committed to learning and greater understanding, this apology speaks to ‘any pain I may have caused,’ rather than acknowledging the pain that he has caused,” the AJC continued.

Some have questioned how the apology came ahead of the volume one release of his new album Vultures, which dropped over the weekend.

In the wake of his controversies, Balenciaga's parent company, Kerring - who used to work with West - said 'Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor plans for any future projects related to this artist'.

But no doubt the biggest break-off was his hugely successful partnership with Adidas.

On 25 October, Adidas announced it had cut ties with Ye after a nearly decade-long partnership, a move that would cost the company 250 million euros that year.

The partnership reportedly accounted for $1.5 billion of Kanye's net worth, which meant he would lose his billionaire status, according to Forbes.