Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, took out a full-page ad Monday in the Wall Street Journal apologizing “To Those I’ve Hurt” from the “Black community” to “Jewish people” amid his struggle with bipolar disorder.
“My words as a leader in my community have real global impact and influence,” West said in the print advertisement. “In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.”
In recent years, West repeatedly made anti-Semitic comments and music, including his song “Heil Hitler,” and produced merchandise featuring a swastika for his brand Yeezy, which paid for the print advertisement. He suggested slavery was “a choice” and wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt during one of his Yeezy fashion shows.
West was involved in controversy again this month after Miami Beach nightclub Vendôme played his “Heil Hitler” during a bottle service for a group of influencers.
In the ad, West said “he gravitated toward the most destructive symbol” he could find, the swastika, while in a fractured state during which he was losing touch with reality.
“It does not excuse what I did, though,” West said. “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
READ MORE: ‘Utter disgust’ over Miami Beach’s Vendôme playing ‘Heil Hitler’ for influencers
The Black community held West down through all the highs and lows and is “unquestionably, the foundation” of who he is, he said.
“I am so sorry to have let you down,” West said. “I love us.”
Twenty-five years ago, West was in a car crash that broke his jaw, and an injury to the right frontal lobe of his brain wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023, he said. The “medical oversight” damaged his mental health and led to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
“The scariest thing about this disorder is how persuasive it is when it tells you: You don’t need help,” West said. “It makes you blind, but convinced you have insight. You feel powerful, certain and unstoppable.”
West said he deeply regrets things he’s said and done over the years.
“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” West said in the advertisement. “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 2:38 PM.
Sofia Saric
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