Kanye West Issues Apology in Wall Street Journal

Ye, the hip-hop artist formerly known as Kanye West, issued a public apology in a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal, saying he regretted past antisemitic remarks and hateful rhetoric and declaring, “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”

The open letter, titled “To Those I’ve Hurt,” attributed his behavior in recent years to an undiagnosed right frontal-lobe brain injury from a car accident 25 years ago and to bipolar disorder, and said he was “committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.”

Why it Matters

Ye’s remarks and posts in recent years—including praise of Adolf Hitler and use of a swastika—prompted widespread condemnation, corporate severances, and broader debate about celebrity influence, mental health, and accountability.

The Anti-Defamation League said in early 2023 it documented at least 30 antisemitic incidents nationwide that “directly reference Ye,” underscoring the ripple effects of his statements.

Adidas and other companies cut ties with Ye amid the backlash, demonstrating how brand partnerships can rapidly unwind over speech deemed hateful or harmful.

The apology ad came as streaming platforms showed a new Ye album, “Bully,” slated for release Friday, according to Variety.

What Did Kanye West’s Apology Statement Say?

In the WSJ ad, Ye addressed the apology “to those I’ve hurt,” writing: “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 described “losing touch with reality” and said that “in that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it.”

Ye said he “fell into a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior” in early 2025 and “hit rock bottom a few months ago,” adding that he sought help and found a “new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living.”

Who Is Kanye West’s Wife, Bianca Censori?

In the letter, Ye said his wife, Bianca Censori, encouraged him to get help after he “hit rock bottom.” The statement did not provide further biographical details about Censori.

Censori’s outfits, which have been called by some inappropriate or revealing, have been a topic in the past and a focus of the paparazzi.

When Was Kanye West Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder?

Ye wrote that a right frontal-lobe brain injury from a car accident 25 years ago “wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023,” and that “medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis.”

He also said he previously rejected the bipolar diagnosis but has accepted it again.

The exact clinical timeline beyond his account has not been independently confirmed, although viewers of The Kardashians have seen his condition spoken about for several seasons.

What People Are Saying

Ian Schafer, the president and co-founder of Ensemble, said in a post on X Monday: “Ye opened the floodgates of antisemitism for multiple generations. An apology doesn’t cut it, regardless of the reasons. Not even close.”

Full Statement

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 ten to fifteen 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.

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 anymore.

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

What Happens Next

Streaming platforms showed Ye’s album “Bully” slated for release Friday, though Ye’s letter did not directly reference new work, Variety reported. It remained to be seen how the apology might affect industry relationships or public reception.

Update 1/26/26 11:26 a.m. ET This story has been updated with more information.