Ye apologizes in full-page newspaper ad, says he is not an “anti-Semite”
“I’m not a Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love Jews,” Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, wrote in a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal.
Two years after Ye apologized to the Jewish community for past anti-Semitic comments, the disgraced hip-hop mogul is once again speaking publicly about his controversial actions.
The Grammy-winning rapper and fashion designer, who previously sparked significant backlash for a series of statements widely considered anti-Semitic, addressed his rhetoric in an ad published in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, January 26th.
In an open letter ad titled “To those I have hurt,” Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, detailed a shaky history of mental health, including a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which is said to have contributed to his actions.
“As a community leader, my words have global influence and influence. I became manic and completely lost sight of that,” Yeh, 48, wrote. “As I found a new baseline and a new center for myself through an effective plan of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living, I found a newfound clarity that I had been craving.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Ye’s representative for comment.
Ye was reportedly diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016, and opened up about her symptoms on her 2018 self-titled album. The rapper later publicly disputed his diagnosis several times.
Ye says he is “not a Nazi” after receiving swastika T-shirt advertisement
In a December 2023 Instagram post, Ye apologized to the Jewish community for his anti-Semitic actions, saying at the time that he “deeply regrets any pain I may have caused.”
But in 2025, Ye sparked a renewed backlash after a series of hateful tweets slamming Jews and a Super Bowl ad for a $20 T-shirt emblazoned with a swastika.
“Looking back, I felt disconnected from who I really was,” Ye recalled in a Wall Street Journal ad. “In that broken state, I gravitated toward the most subversive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts with it on it.”
Mr Ye, who said he suffered a “four-month manic episode” in early 2025, added: “I am deeply remorseful for my actions during that time and am committed to taking responsibility, healing and bringing about meaningful change.”
“But that does not excuse what I did,” Ye wrote. “I’m not a Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love Jews.”
Looking to the future, Ye said she is “focusing her energy on positive and meaningful art, including music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world.”
“I’m not asking for sympathy or free gifts, but I do hope to earn your forgiveness,” Ye concluded. “I am writing this letter today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I get home.”
Ye says brain injury and bipolar disorder contributed to anti-Semitic comments
From Taylor Swift to Bianca Censari: Ye’s longstanding controversy
Ye, formerly of Kanye West, is no stranger to controversy, from interrupting Taylor Swift’s MTV speech to high-profile relationships.
In 2022, Ye found himself at the center of a career-derailing scandal after making several statements on social media and in interviews that targeted the Jewish community.
In his X post, the outspoken rapper said he would soon do a “death contest against Jews”, while in an interview on NewsNation’s “Cuomo” he was seen repeating anti-Semitic tropes about Jews controlling the entertainment industry and media.
Ye’s offensive comments were quickly condemned across the industry. The Yeezy founder was temporarily suspended from X and Instagram and lost a lucrative apparel partnership with Adidas. In 2025, Mr Ye was reportedly banned from entering Australia after releasing a song praising the German chancellor who oversaw the murder of millions of Jews.
In an ad in the Wall Street Journal, Ye said a 2002 car accident appeared to have “damaged the frontal lobe of the right side of the brain” and caused a series of mental health problems.
“At that time, the focus was on visible injuries, such as fractures, swelling, and direct physical trauma. Deeper injuries, inside the skull, went unnoticed,” Ye recalled.
The rapper said that “neurological testing was limited” at the time and that his condition “was not properly diagnosed until 2023.”
Yeh also spoke candidly about how bipolar disorder had affected her outlook, saying mental health conditions have “their own defense systems” of “denial” and “moments of disconnection” that lead to “impaired judgment and reckless behavior.”
“When I’m manic, I don’t think I’m sick. I think everyone else is overreacting,” Ye wrote. “I feel like I can see the world more clearly than ever before, even though in reality I have completely lost my grip.”
“I lost touch with reality. The more I ignored the problem, the worse it got,” Ye continued. “I said and did things that I deeply regret. Some of the people I loved the most were the ones I treated the worst. You endured the fear, confusion, humiliation, and sometimes exhaustion of trying to love someone you don’t recognize.”
Mental health experts previously told USA TODAY that unmanaged mental health conditions can cause people to act in seemingly unusual ways, but mental illness and stigma are separate issues.
“If you assume that everyone with a mental health problem is racist, it does a disservice to them, increases stigma, and ultimately prevents people from getting help,” clinical psychologist Andrea Boniol told USA TODAY.
“And if you assume that everyone who spews bigoted beliefs has a mental illness, you’re turning your back on the cultural change that needs to be addressed in terms of implicit bias.”
Contributors: Jenna Ryu, Anna Kaufman, Erin Jensen, David Oliver, USA TODAY
