Kanye West, now known as Ye, paid for an ad in The Wall Street Journal to run in the January 26 print edition. The ad served as a public apology for his past hateful and antisemitic remarks, addressing his mental state through most of 2025. For a period of time, Ye posted and deleted several hate-filled rants on social media about the Jewish community and others. He briefly aligned himself with President Trump and seemed to be rapidly losing touch with his own identity. In his apology, he addressed this.
Further, Ye got to the root of what seemed to be, on the surface, a descent into madness. He explained that he had been diagnosed with Bipolar Type-1 in 2023 after neurological damage from a 2002 car crash went unnoticed. In Ye’s words, last year he “fell into a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”
The letter began by explaining that a car accident 25 years ago broke his jaw and caused a right frontal lobe injury. The physical injuries healed, but Ye said the mental toll of the crash wasn’t properly addressed until 2023.
“That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis,” he wrote. “Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting. You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.”
Ye Asks for forgiveness for Mania-Induced Behavior, But Acknowledges That A Diagnosis Does Not Excuse It
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 continued his apology by describing the impact of Bipolar Type-1 on the brain, as well as the stigma that still surrounds the diagnosis. People with bipolar disorder are often labeled “crazy,” he wrote, which leads to feeling “as if you cannot contribute anything meaningful to the world.”
He continued, “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,” he continued. “Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
Ye added that in his manic episode, he gravitated toward hate symbols, specifically the swastika. He described it as an “out-of-body experience” and said that there are many moments he “still cannot recall.”
He continued, “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.”
‘I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass’
Ye’s apology continued to dive deep into his mental state at the time of his manic episode. He described bipolar disorder as a “state of constant mental illness,” adding that “When you are not in an episode, you are completely ‘normal’. And that’s when the wreckage from the illness hits the hardest.”
In conclusion, Ye noted that he was urged to get help after “hitting rock bottom.” He has allegedly developed “an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living,” through which he is seeking a “new baseline and new center.” He added, “I have newfound, much-needed clarity. I am pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world.”
Ye noted that he hopes to eventually earn forgiveness for his words and actions. But most importantly, he included that a formal diagnosis merely explains the situation and doesn’t excuse his behavior.
“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” he wrote. “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
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