Kanye West says he has undergone treatment for mental health issues and wants to apologize to anyone hurt by his past racist and antisemitic outbursts.
The rapper, now known as Ye, took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal titled “To Those I’ve Hurt” on Monday, Jan. 26.
He included an apology to the Black community, which he said “held me down through all of the highs and lows.”
“The Black community is unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down,” he wrote. “I love us.”
West did not clarify what specific comments he was referring to, but statements he made in 2018, saying slavery was a “choice” upset many in the Black community.
The “Stronger” rapper admitted in the ad that he refused to get help for years, but explained he underwent “comprehensive scans” and neurological exams in 2023, when he was diagnosed with bipolar type-1. He said his mental health issues were caused by head trauma he suffered in a 2002 car accident.
According to the Mayo Clinic, bipolar I disorder is a mental health condition occurring after a patient has had at least “one manic episode,” and in some cases a “break from reality” or psychosis.
West blamed the illness for his repeated antisemitic comments on social media and in interviews.
“I lost touch with reality,” he wrote, adding that he embraced white supremacy and Nazi symbolism as a result of the illness.
“In that fractured state, I gravitated towards the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it,” the Grammy winner wrote.
“One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 is the disconnected moments — many of which I still cannot recall — that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience,” West added.
In early 2025, he said he experienced a “four-month” manic episode of “psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”
The rapper said he turned to Reddit forums and “found comfort” reading posts from people who experienced similar mental health breaks.
“My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that,” he wrote.
He insisted he now plans to “pour his energy” into his work in the music and fashion industries.
“As I find my new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity,” he wrote.
West insisted he is “not asking for sympathy, or a free pass.” He concluded, “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
Ye takes out an ad in The Wall Street Journal to apologize for his anti-Semitic actions and wants “to earn your forgiveness.”
On Monday (Jan. 26) the rapper posted an apology “To Those I’ve Hurt” in the newspaper. In the open letter he paid for, Ye details his 2002 car accident,… pic.twitter.com/Nl0Jl5qLo8
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) January 26, 2026
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