Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, issued a public apology Monday for a series of antisemitic remarks and actions that drew widespread condemnation and severed major business relationships, saying his behavior stemmed in part from untreated health issues and a long-undiagnosed brain injury.
In a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal titled “To Those I’ve Hurt,” the rapper and producer wrote that he had “lost touch with reality” during periods of psychotic and manic behavior linked to bipolar type-1 disorder and what he described as a frontal-lobe injury from a 2002 car accident. He said the injury was not properly diagnosed until 2023.
“I am not a Nazi or antisemite. I love Jewish people,” Ye wrote in the letter, addressing members of the Jewish community and others he said were harmed by his remarks.
Ye’s apology acknowledged that his statements and actions in recent years, including praise of Adolf Hitler and the use of Nazi symbols, were hurtful. He said he deeply regretted those actions and was committed to “accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.”
Ye attributed his conduct to a combination of untreated bipolar disorder and neurological damage from the decades-old accident, saying his struggles led to “reckless” behavior and that he eventually sought help after hitting “rock bottom.” He said therapy, medication and lifestyle changes have helped him find what he described as “a new baseline.”
The apology also included a separate note to the Black community, which he identified as foundational to his identity, expressing remorse for letting them down with his public conduct.
Ye’s controversial remarks since 2022 prompted companies including Adidas, Gap and Universal Music Group to end partnerships with him, and advocacy groups documented numerous incidents tied to his statements.
The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitism, previously counted dozens of incidents that referenced Ye and responded to the apology by emphasizing that acknowledgment of harm does not erase prior actions.
Ye’s statement arrives days before the scheduled release of his new album, Bully.
