Kanye West Issues Public Apology 'To Those I've Hurt' Over Past Antisemitic Comments

Ye, the musician formerly known as Kanye West, has issued a public apology for his conduct in the last year.

In February of last year, the Jesus Walks musician was dropped by his agents in light of a string of antisemitic posts he shared on social media, including praise for Adolf Hitler and declaring himself to be a Nazi.

His online shop on the shopping platform Shopify was also pulled when he stripped everything in it aside from a t-shirt emblazoned with a swastika, and a slogan alluding to Hitler’s Nazi party.

Prior to this, Ye had been out of the spotlight for some time, following several high-profile scandals, which included numerous other antisemitic comments, as well as the decision to wear a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt to a fashion show in 2022 and the inclusion of Marilyn Manson as part of a stunt to promote his album, Donda.

On Monday, Ye paid for a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal, titled: “To those I’ve hurt”.

What did Kanye West say in his public apology?

In his lengthy statement, the Grammy winner discusses how his behaviour was impacted by his bipolar disorder, which he first disclosed publicly in 2018, on his self-titled album Ye.

He also publicly distances himself from past comments, claiming they were made at a time in which he’d “lost touch with reality”, maintaining that he’s neither a “Nazi” nor an “antisemite” (and, in fact, “loves Jewish people”) and apologised specifically to those within the Black community who feel that he “let them down”.

The full statement in Ye’s Wall Street Journal advert – posted on social media by HuffPost journalist Philip Lewis – is as follows:

“25 years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain. At the time, the focus was on the visible damage – the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.

“Comprehensive scans were not done, neurological exams were limited, and the possibility of a frontal-lobe injury was never raised. It wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023. That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis.

“Bipolar disorder comes with its own defence system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think 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. It’s easy for people to joke and laugh it off when in fact this is a very serious debilitating disease you can die from. According to the World Health Organisation and Cambridge University, people with bipolar disorder have a life expectancy that is shortened by 10 to 15 years on average, and a two-to-three-times higher all-cause mortality rate than the general population. This is on par with severe heart disease, type-1 diabetes, HIV, and cancer – all lethal and fatal if left untreated.

“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.

“I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret. 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.

“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold t-shirts bearing it. 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 judgment 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. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.

“To the Black community – which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times. The Black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.

“In early 2025, I fell into a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life. As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore. Having bipolar disorder is not a state of constant mental illness. When you go into the manic episode, you are ill at that point.

“When you are not in an episode, you are completely ‘normal’. And that’s when the wreckage from the illness hits the hardest. Hitting rock bottom a few months ago, my wife encouraged me to finally get help.

“I have found comfort in Reddit forums of all places. Different people speak of being in manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature. I read their stories and realised that I was not alone. It’s not just me who ruins their entire life once a year despite taking meds every day and being told by the so-called best doctors in the world that I am not bipolar, but merely experiencing ‘symptoms of autism’.

“My words as a leader in my community have real global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that. As I find my new baseline and new centre through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity. I am pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world.

“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.”

Although he has been keeping a somewhat lower profile since the scandals he was embroiled in a year ago, Ye has continued to release a string of singles in that time, many of which are thought to be included on his upcoming studio album Bully.

In May 2025, he released a hugely controversial song titled Heil Hitler, which led to his right to travel to Australia being revoked.

Help and support:

• Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
• Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
• CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
• The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
• Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.