Ye apologizes for antisemitic behavior in Wall Street Journal ad

Ye, the artist and producer formerly known as Kanye West, took out a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal on Monday apologizing for recent antisemitic behavior and saying he hoped to be forgiven by "those I’ve hurt." In the ad he wrote, "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite.

I love Jewish people." He attributed the conduct to untreated bipolar I disorder during a four-month manic episode in 2025 when he said he had stopped taking medication. The ad echoed an apology he made in 2023; in early 2025 he said he took that apology back, declared himself a Nazi, pledged his love for Adolf Hitler, sold T-shirts with swastikas and released a song that glorified Hitler.

Ye said the disorder stemmed from a brain injury he suffered in a 2002 car crash and described losing touch with reality: "It makes you blind, but convinced you have insight," and "I lost touch with reality." The Times noted that there is little evidence that brain injuries cause bipolar disorder, though head injuries can contribute to symptoms of psychosis.

He also apologized to the Black community. He said a new regimen of medication and therapy has proved "effective" and asked for patience and understanding as he tries to "find my way home," adding he was not asking for sympathy.

Key Topics

Culture, Ye, Adolf Hitler, Bipolar Disorder, Anti-defamation League, Swastikas