Rapper Ye takes out Wall Street Journal ad to apologize for past antisemitism

Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal apologizing for antisemitic behavior that he attributed to bipolar disorder.

“I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold t-shirts bearing it. One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments — many of which I still cannot recall — that lead to poor judgment … I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability … It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people,” Ye wrote in the ad published Monday.

The rapper’s antisemitic incidents spanned years, including a 2022 post on X that called on others to go “death con 3” on the Jewish community, which saw Balenciaga and Adidas sever their ties with Ye. 

The newspaper ad is also not Ye’s first apology for antisemitism, as he previously issued an apology to Jewish people in Hebrew in 2023, according to The Associated Press.

In the ad, Ye also specifically mentioned a “four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life” in 2025. The period included his release of the song “Heil Hitler,” which sampled a speech by the genocidal Nazi dictator, in May 2025.

Ye said that he was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2023, and that the mental health condition stems from an injury to his brain caused by a car crash 25 years ago. He attributes his change in mindset to finding common ground with other bipolar people on Reddit, and said that he was now seeking help for his disorder, including medication and therapy.

“Different people speak of being in manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature. I read their stories and realized that I was not alone. … 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,” the rapper said in his ad.

Ye told Vanity Fair, addressing the accusation that he was only apologizing as a “PR” or business move (the rapper’s new album is due for release Friday), that “it’s my understanding that I was in the top 10 most listened-to artists overall in the U.S. on Spotify in 2025 … This, for me, as evidenced by the letter, isn’t about reviving my commerciality. This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit.”