Kanye West apologises for antisemitism and admits losing “touch with reality”
A new advertisement has appeared in The Wall Street Journal from Kanye West, in which he claims that he is not an antisemite and “lost touch with reality”.
The rapper paid for a full-page advertisement in the print edition of the newspaper, which was published on January 26th, to write an essay in an attempt to explain some of his inappropriate behaviours over recent years, most prominently his anti-semitic remarks.
West, who changed his name to Ye five years ago, claimed that his erratic personality was caused by a brain injury obtained in a car crash at the start of his career. “25 years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain,” he said.
The rapper continued: “At the time, the focus was on the visible damage — the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.”
West went on to claim that this has been the root of his personality issues over the years, leading to him being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016, and officially with a brain injury in 2023.
Speaking of his health struggles and how this has affected the people in his life, the rapper noted: “I 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.”
Then moving to address those people directly, he added: “You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognisable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
The advertisement is notably co-signed by Hussein Lalani, the CFO of West’s fashion brand, Yeezy. Although The Wall Street Journal has not publicly responded to questions over running the advertisement, the cost of these spreads is said to be between five and six figures, according to Vanity Fair.
The rapper claimed that in the worst moments of his bipolar struggles, he found himself drawn to the “most destructive symbol I could find,” in this case being the Swastika and other antisemitic imagery.
“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.”
West also offered his apology to the Black community, many of whom he ostracised in 2018 by saying that slavery was supposedly a “choice”, and noted that he had let them down.
The extended apology comes amid rumours that West could be about to release his 12th studio album, Bully, which is tipped to be released by the end of this week. However, this has not been officially confirmed.
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