Kanye West Apologizes for His Antisemitism, Claims He Was in ‘Fractured State’ From Bipolar Disorder

Kanye West is asking for forgiveness following his disturbing words and actions, which included extreme antisemitism.

The rapper, 48, took out a print ad in The Wall Street Journal, published Monday, January 26, in which he opened up about how his mental illness affected his life, according to Vanity Fair. 

West explained that after his 2002 car accident, “the possibility of a frontal-lobe injury was never raised,” until 2023, noting “that medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis,” which he was diagnosed with in 2016.

Because of the disorder, West — who shares kids North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, 8, and Psalm, 6, with ex-wife Kim Kardashian — claimed he eventually “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,” he wrote. “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.”

West — who also goes by Ye — then addressed his rampant antisemitism and pro-Nazi beliefs, which he has been perpetuating since 2022. In 2023, West expressed regret, but in February 2025, he backtracked, posting on X, “I’m never apologizing for my Jewish comments,” according to The New York Times. Then in May 2025, West released a music video on X titled “HEIL HITLER (HOOLIGAN VERSION),” praising Adolf Hitler.

“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it,” West wrote in the letter. “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,” he continued. “It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”

“In early 2025, I fell into a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life,” he added. “As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore.”

West said after “hitting rock bottom a few months ago,” his wife, Bianca Censori, “encouraged me to finally get help.”

Also in the letter, West apologized “to the Black community,” saying he was “so sorry to have let you down.”

“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” he concluded the letter. “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”