Ye Issues Apology for Antisemitic Remarks and Controversial Behavior in Full-Page Ad

In a striking move, Ye, the artist previously known as Kanye West, has taken out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal to apologize for his past antisemitic remarks and other controversial statements.

The lengthy note, titled “To Those I’ve Hurt” and funded by Yeezy, sees West addressing his struggles with bipolar disorder. He notes that he wasn't properly diagnosed until 2023 and links his mental health issues to potential undiagnosed head trauma from his 2002 car crash, which inspired his early hit, “Through the Wire.”

"I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem,” West wrote, reflecting on his recent manic episodes. "I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst... Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”

Describing the experience of a manic episode, West explained, “You don’t think you’re sick,” and it feels like “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.”

He continued, “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, and unstoppable.”

West further admitted, “In this fractured state I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold t-shirts bearing it.” He started selling the swastika merch on his website last February, and prior to that, he released a song called “Heil Hitler.” There had been other public incidents involving praise for Hitler and the promotion of Nazi iconography, along with numerous antisemitic outbursts.

In his apology, West continued: “One of the difficult aspects of having biopolar type-1 are the disconnected moments — many of which I still cannot recall — that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience... I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”

West also extended an apology to the Black community, stating they “held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times... I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.”

According to West, the four-month “manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior” he experienced early last year nearly “destroyed my life.” He credited his wife, Bianca Censori, with encouraging him to seek help after he hit “rock bottom a few months ago.”

West said he is now focused on finding a “new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living.” He also mentioned finding solace in Reddit forums, where individuals share experiences of manic and depressive episodes. “I read their stories and realized that I was not alone.”

Concluding his apology, West expressed that he has found some “much-needed clarity” and is directing his “energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world.” He finished with: “I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for you patience and understanding as I find my way home.”

This isn't the first time West has apologized for his behavior. In December 2023, he published a note on Instagram, written in Hebrew, that read, “I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any ‘unintended outbursts, caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused.”