Ye takes out an ad in the Wall Street Journal to, once again, apologize for being anti-Semitic
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Yes, the singer formerly known as Kanye West, on Monday released a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to once again apologize for his past anti-religious statements.
Speaking directly to the Black community and “the people I love the most,” he said his erratic behavior stemmed from a car crash nearly 25 years ago, which caused traumatic injuries and contributed to what he called bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is usually characterized by frequent fluctuations between “psychedelic” and “depressed” states, often with continuous periods of emotional stability in between.
When in a manic state, a person may have an inflated or distorted sense of self, a reduced ability to control their emotions or experience difficulty visualizing a dream according to the Mayo Clinic. It is a lifelong condition, often managed with therapy and medication.
Ye previously said he had bipolar type-I, although he also said he was misdiagnosed, and instead attributed some of his behavior to autism.
She said in the ad that she “lost touch with reality,” because of her condition and was unable to understand or accept that she needed help even after she was diagnosed.
Kanye West’s illegal outbursts combined with an increase in hate crimes have forced the Jewish community to respond to this wave of backlash with tough conversations inside and outside the synagogue.
“In that broken state, I gravitated to the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold t-shirts bearing it,” he wrote, adding that he is “very sorry” for his actions, and is now committed to healing and real change.
He wrote: “However, it does not excuse what I did.
Ye’s controversial statements over the years have been followed by occasional apologies.
It includes an appearance on the far-right InfoWars talk show in 2022, where he said people should “stop anti-Nazis.”
He was then suspended from X (then known as Twitter) for posting objectionable statements. He also posted a photo that appeared to show a Star of David with a swastika inside, praising Adolf Hitler. His account was reinstated about eight months later.
A number of brands and organizations later cut ties with him, including Gap, Adidas, Balenciaga and the Creative Artists Agency.
In mid-2023, Ye said he renounced Judaism after seeing actor Jonah Hill 21 Jump Street. He said that playing made him “like the Jews again.”
Then, that December, he issued another apology.
“I am deeply sorry for any pain I may have caused,” he wrote on Instagram in Hebrew.
But he later returned to the same attack, declaring last year that he was a Nazi and that he loved Hitler. He also tried to sell swastika t-shirts on his website and tried to release a song titled Heil Hitler.
Another apology followed: “I’m done with atheism,” Ye wrote to X.
At the time, he blamed his actions on his divorce from celebrity Kim Kardashian, and the subsequent custody battle for his children.
Adidas has ended its relationship with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, due to his recent offensive and controversial comments. The latest company to cut ties with Ye, including her talent agency, CAA, Vogue magazine and fashion house Balenciaga.
His previous apology was met with some lukewarm responses.
“Sorry, but we don’t buy it,” said a spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League he told Billboard after Ye’s 2025 apology. “We’ve seen this kind of apology from Kanye before, only to have him backtrack again and again.”
In his ad, Ye tries to answer why he often apologizes before returning to hate speech, while thanking his current partner – Bianca Censori – for encouraging him to seek treatment.
He wrote: “Having bipolar disorder is not always a mental illness.
This is where the dangers caused by illness are most severe.” When I was depressed a few months ago, my wife encouraged me to finally get help.”
He ended his apology by asking “papatience and understanding as I find my way home.”
