Rapper Kanye West said Monday that an undiagnosed brain injury played a role in his “poor judgement and reckless behavior” witnessed by the public.
West, who goes by Ye, has garnered attention since 2022 for various antisemitic comments, including one interview where he said he saw “good things” about former German dictator Adolf Hitler. These views and statements cost him various business partnerships, including one with Adidas, according to NPR.
The rapper took out an ad in Monday’s edition of the Wall Street Journal, saying the car accident he got into in 2002 left him with an “unnoticed” injury “inside my skull.” He added that this medical oversight caused “serious” mental health damage and led to his diagnosis of bipolar type-1.
“Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial,” West said. “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.”
Part of West’s antisemitic streak led him to buy a Super Bowl ad in 2025, directing viewers to a website where they could buy T-shirts bearing the swastika. Shopify deactivated the website shortly after the ad aired, according to CNN.
West’s statement said he “gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find.” He also said one aspect of bipolar type-1 is “the disconnected moments” leading to “poor judgement and reckless behavior.”
“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change,” West said. “It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
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West concluded his statement by saying he is aspiring to “earn your forgiveness.” He also asked for “patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
West previously issued an apology written in Hebrew in December 2023, apologizing for “any unintended outbursts” by him. He also claimed on X in May 2025 that he is “done with antisemitism,” though this statement is no longer up on his X account, according to Billboard.