Kanye West Apologizes for Anti-Semitic Comments: ‘Hurt People Hurt People’

Kanye West apologized for his recent anti-semitic comments during an interview with Piers Morgan, but he stopped short of saying that he regrets making them in the first place.

“I will say I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the ‘death con’ 0,” the rapper, 45, said during the Wednesday, October 19, episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored. “I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through, and that I used my platform where you say hurt people hurt people. I was hurt.”

Earlier in the interview, however, the Yeezy designer replied “absolutely not” when Morgan, 57, asked whether he regrets his comments. “When you insult the Jewish people and say you’re going ‘death con 3’ on the Jewish people, that is as racist as anything you say you’ve been through,” the U.K. native said while West laughed. “Racism is racism and you know that I think. Don’t you?”

The “Heartless” artist replied, “Yeah, obviously, that’s why I said it.” When Morgan asked the Grammy winner to clarify that he made his remarks “knowing it’s racist,” the Chicago native responded: “Yes, I fought fire with fire. I’m not here to get hosed down. It’s a different type of freedom fighter.”

Earlier this month, the Donda founder’s Instagram account was restricted after he posted anti-semitic comments. He then moved on to Twitter, where he wrote: “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

The social media platform ultimately removed the tweet following backlash, but West later doubled down on his comments during a Sunday, October 16, interview on the “Drink Champs” podcast. During the same episode, the “Love Lockdown” musician touted the debunked claim that George Floyd died as a result of fentanyl consumption rather than police brutality.

In response, Floyd’s family announced on Tuesday, October 18, that they plan to file a $250 million lawsuit against West. “Kanye’s comments are a repugnant attempt to discount George Floyd’s life and to profit from his inhumane death,” attorney Pat D. Dixon III said in a statement. “We will hold Mr. West accountable for his flagrant remarks against Mr. Floyd’s legacy.”

The “Drink Champs” episode, meanwhile, has been removed from YouTube, Spotify and RevoltTV, and host N.O.R.E. apologized for airing the interview.

“I have a relationship with Ye. When he was going through a lot of things that he was going through, he would call me, and he would actually listen to me and take my advice,” the New York City native, 45, said during a Monday, October 17, interview with Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg. “So, I felt like I could control the situation. I felt that I could control the interview. And I’ve learned early on that I didn’t. As a Black man, I feel like I failed. As a human, I feel like I failed.”