Kanye West has denied he is a Nazi and taken out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal to apologise for antisemitic comments.
In the full-page advert, titled ‘To Those I’ve Hurt’, the controversial star insisted he was not asking for “sympathy or a free pass”. Instead, the artist now known as Ye, said he was looking to earn forgiveness from the public.
The rapper also apologised to the black community, saying he had let it down.
West deleted his X account in February of last year after suffering a backlash over a series of offensive remarks, including “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi”.
Kanye West and his wife at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, in February 2025. Pic: Reuters
West’s Yeezy online shopping platform was also taken down after it began selling T-shirts adorned with swastikas.
In May last year, the 48-year-old released a single titled ‘Heil Hitler’, a move that resulted in Australia, where the star’s wife, Bianca Censori, is from, cancelling his visa.
Adidas ended a partnership with the rapper over antisemitic comments he made in 2022, leaving the company with a mountain of West’s popular brand of Yeezy trainers unsold until last year.
West also apologised for his remarks in 2023.
However, in the newspaper advert, West now insists: “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people”.
He blamed his behaviour on his bipolar-1 disorder, something he said resulted from a car accident 25 years ago.
He says his brain injury from the crash wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023, something he calls a “medical oversight [that] caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis”, which he received in 2016.
“In early 2025, I fell into a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life,” West said.
“I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret.”
He added: “There were times I didn’t want to be here any more.”
The rapper said that he’d treated “some of the people I love the most” the worst, saying he “became detached from my true self”.
West was previously married to Kim Kardashian and the pair had four children together. Pic: Reuters
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West said he hit rock bottom a few months ago and that his wife encouraged him to get help.
He is now “pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design and other new ideas to help the world”.
“One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments – many of which I still cannot recall – that lead to poor judgement and reckless behaviour that (often) feels like an out-of-body experience.
“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.”
The letter ends with West saying, “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home. With love, Ye.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “It’s hard to keep up with Kanye West’s apologies and relapses. A heartfelt apology is nice but at the end of the day it’s meaningless if it’s followed by more of the same, which is what has happened before.
Time will tell whether he is really turning a corner or just going around in circles.
“We hope for his sake – and for Jewish people worldwide who have enough antisemitism to worry about right now – that he will show some real change. That might start with telling his online followers, whose number is greater than there are Jews in the world, why antisemitism is so corrosive.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
