Kanye West issues apology for antisemitic comments, blaming bipolar diagnosis in Wall Street Journal ad
Kanye West has issued a lengthy public apology following years of spewing antisemetic and racist comments, attributing his offensive behaviour to bipolar disorder.
The 48-year-old disgraced rapper and businessman shared an open letter, titled To Those I’ve Hurt, as a full-page ad in the Monday January edition of The Wall Street Journal, writing “I lost touch with reality.”
“Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret,” he continued.
“Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to love someone who was, at times, unrecognisable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
West claimed that bipolar disorder caused his erratic behaviour and turn to antisemitism.
The rapper started the letter by recalling a 2002 car accident, where he broke his jaw and “caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain.”
He claimed that the interior neurological damage “went unnoticed” until 2023, and “that medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis.”
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West explained his “fractured state” led him to gravitate “toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.”
He admitted it was “poor judgement and reckless behaviour” to sell merchandise with featuring the offensive symbol, but he can’t recall a lot of those moments due to his bipolar disorder.
“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,” he wrote.
West, who shares four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm, also detailed his experience with bipolar disorder.
“You think everyone else is overreacting,” he wrote.
“You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.”
Elsewhere in the letter West wrote about being labelled “crazy” and feeling like he could no longer “contribute anything meaningful to the world.”
West cited research from the World Health Organisation and Cambridge University, stating individuals with bipolar disorder have a shorter life expectancy than the general population, emphasizing how serious it is.
He claimed the disorder made him feel as though seeking help was not necessary, thinking he was “powerful” and “unstoppable.”
West opened up about a four-month period in 2025 when he went through a “long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life,” noting that he felt suicidal at times.
It was his wife, Bianca Censori, who encouraged him to reach out for help after he hit rock bottom.
West also apologised to the Black community, “which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times.”
The rapper and fashion designer admitted that in his mania he lost sight of his impact and influence.
He noted that he now follows “an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living” and feels a sense of “much-needed clarity.”
“I am pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world,” he continued.
He concluded the letter by writing that he was not asking for a “free pass” rather, understanding.
“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,” the letter finished.
West’s controversial behaviour has dominated headlines in recent years, including many antisemitic remarks he has made attacking the Jewish population.
In 2022 Adidas ended their partnership with Yeezy after West threatened to go ”death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”
In 2025 he was sued by a former Yeezy employee who alleged that he had compared himself to Hitler, threatened her because she was Jewish and fired her a day after she reported him.
West defended Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in 2025, shared a slur-ridden rant praising Adolf Hitler on X and was subsequently dropped by his talent agent.
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