After years of controversy and public backlash, Kanye West has issued a formal apology for his antisemitic remarks, attributing his behavior to an untreated mental health crisis.
The rapper and entrepreneur published an open letter titled “To Those I’ve Hurt” as a full-page, paid advertisement in The Wall Street Journal on Monday, January 26. In the letter, funded by his Yeezy brand, West said bipolar disorder led to years of erratic behavior, including statements targeting Jewish people.
West traced the origins of his condition to a 2002 car accident that “broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain,” writing that neurological damage “went unnoticed” for years. According to him, that oversight eventually resulted in a bipolar type-1 diagnosis in 2023.
Describing his experience with the illness, West explained how mania distorted his perception. “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.”
Over the past several years, West repeatedly made antisemitic remarks, including comments that led Adidas to sever ties with his Yeezy brand in 2022. In 2025, he was sued by a former Yeezy employee who alleged he made antisemitic threats and comments comparing himself to Adolf Hitler. While that lawsuit remains on hold, West was ordered to pay more than $76,000 in legal fees.
That same year, West defended Sean “Diddy” Combs and posted a profanity-filled rant praising Hitler on X, which resulted in him being dropped by his talent agent.
In the WSJ letter, West reflected on how he was often dismissed as “crazy,” writing that people would “joke and laugh” about his condition while he felt incapable of contributing anything meaningful. He cited research from the World Health Organization and Cambridge University showing people with bipolar disorder have a reduced life expectancy.
“I lost touch with reality,” wrote West, who shares four children — North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm with ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
“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, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
West said his deteriorating mental state led him to gravitate “toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika,” referencing merchandise he previously sold featuring the symbol. He described those actions as the result of “poor judgement and reckless behavior” and said he could not fully recall many of those moments.
“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.
He also apologized to the Black community, calling it “the foundation of who I am,” and said, “I love us,” while acknowledging that he had let many people down.
West detailed a four-month period in 2025 that he described as a “long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life,” during which he experienced suicidal thoughts. He credited his wife Bianca Censori with encouraging him to seek treatment after “hitting rock bottom.”
The artist said he found support through online forums, including Reddit communities for people with bipolar disorder, which helped him feel less isolated.
“My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that,” West wrote, adding that he is now following “an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living.”
He concluded by saying he is focusing on creative work and personal accountability. “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.”
Source: People