Kanye West apologised for his antisemitic actions, attributing them to a manic episode. Photo / Angela Weiss, AFP
Kanye West is “deeply mortified” by his antisemitic actions.
The hip hop star came under fire last year over his controversial behaviour, including praising Adolf Hitler and selling T-shirts emblazoned with a swastika, a notorious Nazi hate symbol, but he’s now taken out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal in the form of an open letter, in which he explained he “lost touch with reality” amid a lengthy manic episode.
He wrote about his experiences of bipolar disorder: “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. 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, unrecognisable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.
“In that fractured state, 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 led to poor judgment and reckless behaviour that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience.
“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 ...
“In early 2025, I fell into a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life. As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore.”
Kanye – who has four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian and is married to Bianca Censori – also apologised to the black community and expressed a desire for “peace and understanding” as he tries to make positive changes in his life.
He wrote: “To the black community – which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times. The black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.
“Having bipolar disorder is notable state of constant mental illness. When you go into a manic episode, you are ill at that point. When you are not in an episode, you are completely ‘normal’. And that’s when the wreckage from the illness hits the hardest. Hitting rock bottom a few months ago, my wife encouraged me to finally get help ...
“My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.
As I find my new baseline and new centre through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living, 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.
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 48-year-old rapper has sought solace on web platform Reddit, where he realised he isn’t the only one whose manic episodes have had a major impact on his life.
He wrote: “I have found comfort in Reddit forums of all places. Different people speak of being in manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature. I read their stories and realised that I was not alone.
“It’s not just me who ruins their entire life once a year despite taking meds every day and being told by the so-called best doctors in the world that I am not bipolar, but merely experiencing ‘symptoms of autism’.”
Early in his open letter – which was written “to those I’ve hurt” and signed “with love”, Kanye expressed his belief that his bipolar disorder stemmed from being involved in a car accident in 2001.
He wrote: “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. At the time, the focus was on the visible damage – the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.
“Comprehensive scans were not done, neurological exams were limited, and the possibility of a frontal-lobe injury was never raised.
“It wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023. That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis.