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Kanye West breaks silence on controversial past
The 'Gold Digger' hitmaker publicly apologises for his controversial behaviour over the past few years
Kanye West has issued a full public apology for his controversial behaviour over the past few years, acknowledging that a prolonged manic episode in 2025 contributed to his destructive actions.
In a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Ye described suffering a “four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”
He admitted the period included antisemitic remarks, pro-Hitler statements, and use of the swastika, adding, “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state… I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
Ye traced part of the root of his struggles to a 25-year-old car accident that caused a frontal-lobe injury, which went undiagnosed until 2023. The rapper said the undetected injury contributed to his bipolar type-1 disorder, a diagnosis he had previously rejected.
“You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely,” he wrote. “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.”
Ye also addressed the personal toll of his mental health struggles, saying there were times during his manic episode when “I didn’t want to be here anymore.” He credited his wife for encouraging him to seek treatment and described finding solace in Reddit communities where others shared similar experiences.
The statement comes ahead of the release of his long-delayed album Bully, set to arrive Friday. Ye emphasized that he is now committed to treatment, therapy, medication, exercise, and “clean living,” and plans to channel his energy into “positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world.”
“This is not a request for sympathy, or a free pass,” he wrote. “I aspire to earn your forgiveness… I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”