Ye, the provocative rapper formerly known as Kanye West, explains himself once again, this time in a full-page ad in Monday's edition of the Wall Street Journal.
The Grammy-winning musician penned a lengthy apology in the announcement, expressing regret for his social media attacks on Jewish people and his public embrace of Nazism in recent years. He began his letter by detailing injuries from a 2002 car accident, including a frontal lobe injury that he says led to his diagnosis of bipolar type 1. Ye wrote that, in the midst of the mess, “I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.”
He said: “I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret.”
The “Power” and “I Love Kanye” musician, 48, has long had a history of poignant controversy, but notably began facing waves of scrutiny for embracing white supremacy, fawning over Adolf Hitler and threatening violence against Jewish people on social media in late 2022. Although his professional life appeared to take hits, West continued to embrace Nazi symbolism in the years that followed, in 2025 selling a swastika T-shirt and releasing a single titled “Hail Hitler.” West had also allegedly told a former employee, who is Jewish, that he was a “Nazi” and had compared himself to its leader, Adolf Hitler, according to a lawsuit filed last year.
“I treated some of the people I love the most the worst,” he continued. “You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to love someone who was sometimes unrecognizable. Looking back, I became separated from my true self.”
The musician said his disorder led to moments of “poor judgment and reckless behavior,” some of which he said he did not remember. The rapper said he is “committed to accountability, treatment and meaningful change” and denied that he is “a Nazi or an anti-Semite.”
West also offered his apology to the black community, which he wrote is the “foundation of who I am.”
West (he legally changed his name to Ye in 2021) wrote that early last year he experienced a “four-month manic episode of psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.” He said there were times during this episode when he “didn't want to be here anymore.” West said that after “hitting rock bottom” he began seeking help, with the support of his wife Bianca Censori. He said he has since also found solace on Reddit, where he said users shared their experiences with manic and depressive episodes.
West said he is moving forward with “a much-needed clarity” achieved through a routine of medication, therapy, exercise and “clean living.” He added that he also focuses on “positive and meaningful art,” including music, clothing and other initiatives “to help the world.” He said he is not looking for “compassion or a free pass,” but rather forgiveness and patience “as I find my way home.”
West previously spoke about his mental state last year, telling “The Download” podcast that he learned that “what I really have is a case of autism.” At the time, she also told podcast host Justin Laboy that she had stopped taking her medication for bipolar disorder because she learned it was not the “correct diagnosis.”
Days after his podcast interview, West fired off several anti-Semitic tweets that have since been deleted. In other posts, he also called for the release of Sean “Diddy” Combs amid the mogul's sex trafficking case and declared his “dominance” over Censori. After those posts, Ye returned to X (formerly Twitter) and thanked the app's owner, Elon Musk, for giving him a platform.
“It's been very cathartic to use the world as a sounding board,” the rapper said at the time.
