Kanye West Apologizes for Antisemitic Remarks and Blames Bipolar Disorder in WSJ Ad: ‘I Lost Touch with Reality’

Following many years of erratic behavior and deeply antisemitic rants, Kanye West is issuing an apology.

The disgraced rapper and businessman, 48, shared an apologetic open letter titled “To Those I’ve Hurt” as a full-page advertisement (paid for by his Yeezy brand) in the Monday, Jan. 26 edition of The Wall Street Journal and claimed bipolar disorder caused his erratic behavior and turn to antisemitism.

West began the letter by recalling the well-documented 2002 car accident that “broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain,” saying that the interior neurological damage “went unnoticed” until 2023. “That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis,” he wrote.

He detailed his experience with bipolar disorder and how the mental illness sent him into a manic state that he wasn’t able to grasp. “You think everyone else is overreacting,” he said. “You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.”

In recent years, West has made many antisemitic remarks attacking the Jewish population. Sportswear company Adidas ended its partnership with Yeezy in 2022 after West threatened to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”

West was sued in 2025 by a former Yeezy employee, who alleged in a complaint that he compared himself to Hitler, threatened her because she was Jewish and fired her one day after she reported his alleged conduct to her supervisor. West was court-ordered to pay more than $76,000 of the unnamed employee’s legal fees in September, though the case otherwise remains on hold.

Also in 2025, West defended Sean “Diddy” Combs (who’s currently in prison after being convicted on two prostitution-related charges in July) and shared antisemitic comments in a slur-ridden rant praising Adolf Hitler on X. He was subsequently dropped by his talent agent, Daniel McCartney of 33&West.

In the letter published in The Wall Street Journal, West wrote about getting labeled as “crazy” and feeling as though he could no longer “contribute anything meaningful to the world,” as people “joke and laugh” about the condition. He cited research from the World Health Organization and Cambridge University stating individuals with bipolar disorder have a shorter life expectancy than the general population, emphasizing its seriousness.

He claimed the disorder made him feel as though seeking help was not necessary, thinking he was “powerful” and “unstoppable.”

“I lost touch with reality,” wrote West, who shares four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. 

“Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret,” he continued. “Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to love someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”

West explained his “fractured state” led him to gravitate “toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.” He wrote about previously selling merchandise featuring the offensive symbol, citing “poor judgement and reckless behavior” and saying he “cannot recall” many of those moments due to his bipolar disorder.

West wrote in his WSJ open letter, “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.” 

He turned his attention to the Black community, “which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times.” Noting that the community is “the foundation of who I am,” West apologized for letting them down. “I love us,” he said.

West recalled a four-month period in 2025 when he experienced a “long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life,” noting that he felt suicidal at times. He explained that bipolar disorder affects him in episodes and noted that his wife Bianca Censori encouraged him to seek help after “hitting rock bottom.”

The “Through the Wire” artist said he “found comfort” in Reddit forums where he learned of other people’s experiences with bipolar disorder and felt less alone. 

“My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that,” wrote West, noting that he’s now following “an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living” and feels a sense of “much-needed clarity.”

“I am pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world,” he continued.

“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home,” concluded West’s letter.