Kanye Issues Public Apology for Antisemitism, Blames Brain Injury

Kanye West — the Grammy-winning rapper and producer now legally known as Ye — has taken the unusual step of placing a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal to apologise for a string of antisemitic statements and behaviour that drew widespread condemnation in recent years.

In a candid letter addressed “To Those I’ve Hurt,” Ye denied being a Nazi or antisemite and linked much of his conduct to medical struggles, including a brain injury and untreated bipolar type-1 disorder.

The Wall Street Journal Letter by Kanye West

In the full-page WSJ ad published on January 26, 2026, Ye directly addressed his critics and the communities he says he has hurt. Titled “To Those I’ve Hurt,” the letter includes several themes:

• A denial that he is a Nazi or antisemite — Kanye wrote, “I am not a Nazi or antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
• An apology to both Jewish and Black communities for past remarks and symbolism he now says he regrets.
• A personal account of his mental health journey, including what he describes as manic episodes tied to untreated bipolar disorder.

Ye acknowledged specific examples of his past conduct — including praising Adolf Hitler and selling controversial merchandise — as wrong and hurtful, and said those actions occurred during periods when he “lost touch with reality.”

Kanye West Offers a Health and Mental Health Explanation

A significant portion of the letter focuses on Ye’s personal health history. He linked his erratic behaviour and antisemitic outbursts to:

• A 2002 car accident that caused a frontal-lobe injury, he said, went undiagnosed for decades.
• A bipolar type-1 disorder diagnosis, he says, was not properly understood and treated until recent years.

Ye described how mental health issues influenced his judgment and behaviour, saying that during manic phases, he lacked clarity about right and wrong. He characterised his previous conduct not as reflective of his core values, but as symptomatic of a medical and psychological crisis from which he is now recovering.

Regret, Responsibility, and Future Intentions

While Ye did not seek sympathy, he expressed deep regret and mortification for his actions. He wrote that he is committed to “accountability, treatment and meaningful change” and asked for patience as he continues his healing process.

The letter also touched on his relationships — including with his wife, Bianca Censori — and how support from loved ones influenced his decision to seek help. Alongside the apology, Ye emphasised a desire to focus on “positive, meaningful art” and constructive work as part of his path forward.

The Full Letter Written by Kanye

To Those I’ve Hurt:

Twenty-five 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 defense 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 Organization and Cambridge University, people with bipolar disorder have a life expectancy that is shortened by 10 to 15 years on average, and a 2x-3x 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, 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 have someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. 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 led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes 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.

Kanye Continues:

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 behavior that destroyed my life. As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here any more.

Having bipolar disorder is notable state of constant mental illness. When you go into a 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 realized 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 global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.

As I find my new baseline and new center 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.”

With love,

Ye

Critical Reception

Responses to the apology have been mixed. Advocacy groups like the Anti-Defamation League noted that while a public apology is noteworthy, it does not erase the impact of past antisemitic conduct and stressed that the “truest apology” would be demonstrated by future actions that avoid harmful rhetoric.

Some fans and observers have welcomed Ye’s candid discussion of mental health, saying it could help destigmatise struggles for others. Others have criticised the timing — coming just before the release of his new album Bully — raising questions about whether the apology is sincere or strategically aligned with his career plans.

You might also want to read: Kanye West Teases New Album With Spooky “Vultures” Post