Kanye West Takes Out Full-Page Ad Explaining Why He Opted For Pro-Nazi Bender
Kanye West took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal on Monday to apologize for his previous anti-Semitic statements, saying that medical problems influenced his behavior and that “I lost touch with reality.”
West: who has been using the name “Ye Ye” in commercial documents since July and passed through “you” for four years before that ― titled the apology ad “To those I have hurt.” In the ad, the rapper goes out of his way to emphasize that, despite his past comments, he is “neither a Nazi nor an anti-Semite” and loves the Jewish people.
The announcement was posted on social media by News editor Philip Lewis. In it, West explains that he was in a car accident 25 years ago that broke his jaw and damaged his right frontal lobe, but says his The condition was not properly diagnosed until 2023.
“That medical neglect caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my diagnosis of bipolar type 1,” West says, before adding that the disorder “comes with its own defense system. Denial.”
He explains that “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 completely losing control.”
“I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret,” he continues. “I treated some of the people I love most the worst. You endured the fear, confusion, humiliation and exhaustion of trying to love someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
Ye, aka Kanye West, publishes a full page in the Wall Street Journal to apologize to the black community and for anti-Semitism:
“I lost contact with reality” pic.twitter.com/Po8s4gNz5P
– Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 26, 2026
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Ye, aka Kanye West, publishes a full page in the Wall Street Journal to apologize to the black community and for anti-Semitism:
“I lost contact with reality” pic.twitter.com/Po8s4gNz5P
– Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 26, 2026
In his new ad, West explains his streak of anti-Semitic and incendiary behavior in early 2025, which included promoting swastika T-shirts during the Super Bowl and a social media rampage in which he posted pornography, criticized fellow musicians Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar, and praised billionaire Elon Musk, who he said “stole my Nazi booty.”
In his “fractured state,” West says, “he gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts with it.”
He then regrets his actions and says he is “deeply mortified” and “committed to accountability, treatment and meaningful change.”
“However, that does not excuse what I did. I am not a Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love the Jewish people,” he adds.
West also addresses the black community, which he says “held me through all the ups and downs and the darkest times,” writing, “I’m so sorry for letting you down. I love us.”
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images
West then credits his wife, Bianca Censori, for encouraging him to “finally seek help.” He says he also found solace in the Reddit forums.
“Different people talk about manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature,” says West. “I read their stories and realized I was not alone.”
He concludes by writing: “I am investing my energy in positive and meaningful art: music, clothing, design and other new ideas to help the world.”
“I am not asking for sympathy or a free pass, although I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today “Just to ask for your patience and understanding while I find my way home.”
West previously apologized for his anti-Semitic comments in 2023, only to do so again shortly after. In May he issued another apology.
A spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League told NBC News on Monday that West’s apology to the Jewish people “is long overdue and does not automatically undo his long history of anti-Semitism: the anti-Semitic ‘Heil Hitler’ song he created, the hundreds of tweets, the swastikas and countless references to the Holocaust, and all the feelings of pain and betrayal it caused.”
The “truest apology would be for him not to engage in anti-Semitic behavior in the future,” the spokesperson said. “We wish him the best on the road to recovery.”