Rapper Kanye West has issued a public apology for his antisemitic statements through a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, attributing his controversial behavior to an undiagnosed brain injury from a 2002 car accident that he claims led to bipolar disorder.
The paid advertisement, which appeared in the January 26 print edition and was funded by Yeezy, marks West’s latest attempt to address the fallout from his hateful remarks about Jewish people that sparked widespread condemnation and cost him major business partnerships.
In the statement titled “To Those I Hurt,” West, 48, alleged that he sustained a brain injury during the 2002 accident that broke his jaw but went unnoticed at the time.
He claimed the injury to his right frontal lobe was not properly diagnosed until 2023.
“Twenty-five years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain,” West wrote.
“At the time, the focus was on the visible damage – the fracture, the swelling, the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.”
West stated that the lack of comprehensive scans and neurological exams at the time of the accident resulted in serious damage to his mental health and led to his bipolar type-1 diagnosis.
He described how the disorder creates a defense system of denial that prevents those suffering from recognizing their illness.
The rapper explained how bipolar disorder affected his perception of reality.
“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,” he wrote.
West cited statistics from the World Health Organization and Cambridge University indicating that people with bipolar disorder have a life expectancy shortened by ten to fifteen years on average and a mortality rate two to three times higher than the general population.
He compared the severity to heart disease, type-1 diabetes, HIV and cancer.
The advertisement detailed West’s descent into what he described as a four-month manic episode in early 2025 that featured psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior.
He revealed there were times during this period when he no longer wanted to live.
West admitted to gravitating toward destructive symbols during his illness, including the swastika, which he even sold on t-shirts.
“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold t-shirts bearing it,” he wrote.
The rapper emphasized he is not a Nazi or antisemite, stating, “I am not a Nazi or antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
He described his actions as deeply regrettable and said many of his disconnected moments feel like an out-of-body experience.
West credited his wife, Bianca Censori, with encouraging him to seek help after he hit rock bottom several months ago.
He also found unexpected support through Reddit forums where people shared similar experiences with bipolar disorder.
The statement included an apology to the black community.
“To the black community – which held me down through all of the highs and lows and darkest of times,” he wrote.
“The black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.”
West’s antisemitic remarks began in late 2022 with a tweet stating he would go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”
He promoted conspiracy theories about Jewish control of media, music, and finance and praised Adolf Hitler and Nazis.
His statements led to the termination of partnerships with Adidas, Balenciaga and his talent agency CAA in 2022.
