Kanye West has publicly expressed deep regret over his past antisemitic remarks, calling his behavior during recent years “deeply mortifying” in a formal, full-page apology. The statement is one of his most significant attempts to address the controversies.
Kanye West regrets past antisemitic remarks in recent apology
In a full-page advertisement published in the Wall Street Journal, Kanye West, now known as Ye, said he is undergoing treatment for a brain condition. He described it as a “four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior” in 2025 that “destroyed my life.”
The ad, addressed “To Those I’ve Hurt,” traces the roots of his condition to a traumatic car accident 25 years ago, which he claims caused a frontal-lobe injury that went undiagnosed until 2023.
The artist vividly describes the grip of bipolar disorder, writing, “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.” He admits that this fractured state led him to embrace and even profit from hateful imagery, a clear reference to his past promotion of swastika-emblazoned merchandise.
Directly confronting the antisemitism that made him a pariah, Kanye West expressed profound remorse. “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment and meaningful change,” he states. Crucially, he adds, “It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
This apology is published as Kanye West prepares to release his long-awaited album Bully this Friday, suggesting a bid to rehabilitate his public image as he returns to music. He also apologizes to the Black community, writing, “I am so sorry to have let you down.”
While this is not his first attempt at penitence, the scale and context of this statement lend it a weightier tone. He credits his wife with encouraging him to seek help after hitting “rock bottom,” and cites finding solace in online forums where others share similar mental health struggles.
