Kanye West recently issued a lengthy apology for his past actions and revealed he has made a checklist of his wrongdoings. The rapper wrote an elaborate letter in The Wall Street Journal, reflecting on the antisemitic behavior that landed him in the middle of a social media storm a few years ago.
Ye, who got embroiled in one controversy after another, blamed his controversial actions on a bipolar disorder episode. The rap artist opened up about his mental health issues and shared how they impacted his life over the years.
He also explained how a car accident 25 years ago caused an injury to his frontal lobe, but it remained undetected until 2023, further deteriorating his condition.
Ye took out a Wall Street Journal ad to apologize for past antisemitic remarks.
In an open letter paid for by Yeezy, Ye apologized for his past remarks, which he claims stemmed from neurological damage after a 2002 car crash:
“To Those I’ve Hurt:
Twenty-five years ago, I was… pic.twitter.com/R2lGi1dGF8
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) January 26, 2026
Ye, who drew sharp criticism for making t-shirts with swastikas and going as far as releasing a song called Heil Hitler, claimed he is not a Nazi or an antisemite.
The rapper further mentioned that he had the outbursts because he “lost touch with reality” and “gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find.”
In addition to the antisemitic controversies, Kanye West also embarrassed his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, multiple times by sharing private details or attacking her over a relationship after their split.
Moreover, he also called his marriage to Bianca Censori a “dominion.” The Gold Digger hitmaker also addressed rumors that his apology was the PR move planned to promote his new album, Bully.
However, he said, “This, for me, as evidenced by the letter, isn’t about reviving my commerciality. This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit. I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular.”
Kanye West apologizes for antisemitism in new letter published through The Wall Street Journal:
“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people” pic.twitter.com/gZ1E7YyJPa
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 26, 2026
After publishing the letter, Ye also opened up about his condition during an interview with Vanity Fair. “Every day that I wake up, it’s a checklist of everything that I said—at least what I can recall—while in a bipolar episode,” he said.
The rapper also mentioned that his action “tarnished” all of his “family bonds, deep relationships, and lifelong friendships.”
Social media users had mixed opinions on Kanye West’s apology. One user on X commented, “People say they care about mental health until it’s time to actually deal with someone going through battles. Beautifully written and apologies accepted, ye.” Another one appreciated the artist, “This might be the most sincere apology of wow.”
One critic wrote, “This reads less like accountability and more like brand triage. Mental illness can explain instability. It does not retroactively absolve ideology, repetition, or monetization of hate. Millions of people live with bipolar disorder and frontal-lobe injuries without selling swastika merch or amplifying antisemitism.”
The second one posted, “Will he apologize for scamming people in crypto as well?” Many are hoping Ye’s apology isn’t for PR, and he meant what he wrote in the letter. Meanwhile, many people wondered if the letter was even written by Ye or if it was an AI tool.
