Kanye West has issued a fresh public apology for his history of antisemitic and racist remarks, describing his past behaviour as “reckless” and linking it to an undiagnosed brain injury and long-standing mental health challenges.
West, who now goes by the name Ye, made the apology in a full-page advertisement published on Monday in The Wall Street Journal, titled “To Those I’ve Hurt.”
In the statement, Kanye West wrote: “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.” He added that he was “deeply mortified” by his past actions and committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful personal change.
Over the years, the rapper has repeatedly drawn backlash for antisemitic comments, including declaring himself a Nazi and praising Adolf Hitler in previous online posts.
In the advertisement, Kanye West disclosed that he suffered an injury to the right frontal lobe of his brain during a car accident 25 years ago, which he said was not properly diagnosed until 2023. According to him, the delayed diagnosis contributed significantly to his deteriorating mental health and eventual bipolar type-1 diagnosis.
“The medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health,” he wrote, adding that he lost touch with reality and became detached from his true self.
Reflecting on his most controversial moments, Ye admitted that during what he described as a fractured mental state, he gravitated toward extremist symbolism, including the swastika, which he said he even placed on merchandise during that period.
He further revealed that he experienced a four-month manic episode marked by psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behaviour in early 2025, before hitting what he described as “rock bottom” months later. Ye said it was at the encouragement of his wife, Bianca Censori, that he sought professional help.
According to the rapper, he has since found stability through medication, therapy, exercise, and lifestyle changes, which he described as helping him reach a “new baseline and new center.”
“I’m not asking for sympathy or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” Ye wrote. “I simply ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
The apology comes ahead of the release of Ye’s new album, scheduled for Friday.
In 2023, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that it had documented at least 30 antisemitic incidents across the United States that directly referenced Ye.
This is not the first time the rapper has apologised. In December 2023, he shared an apology written in Hebrew on Instagram, expressing regret for the pain caused by his statements. However, weeks later, he appeared to reverse course during a February tirade on X, where he said he would never apologise for his remarks about Jewish people.
The latest apology marks another turn in Ye’s ongoing and often turbulent public reckoning with his words, actions, and mental health.
