Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, purchased a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal dated January 26, 2026, presenting an open letter of apology for years of controversial and antisemitic remarks. The letter, written in his own words and signed simply “Ye,” represents his most direct and expansive attempt to acknowledge harm, explain context, and ask for patience as he seeks personal accountability.
In the letter, Ye opens with a clear rejection of the ideology that fueled much of the backlash against him. “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people,” he writes, addressing head-on the statements that led to widespread condemnation, severed business partnerships, and lasting reputational damage. Rather than framing the apology as a brief retraction, Ye centers the letter on his mental health history, describing years of untreated or misunderstood illness.
He traces part of his struggles back to a 2001 car accident that caused head trauma, saying a frontal-lobe injury went undiagnosed for decades. According to Ye, that oversight contributed to his bipolar I disorder diagnosis, which he says he did not fully understand until much later. “When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting,” he explains. “You feel powerful, certain, unstoppable.”
Ye describes how manic episodes distorted his judgment and sense of reality, culminating in behavior he now calls deeply shameful. “I lost touch with reality. I said and did things I deeply regret,” he writes, acknowledging the pain caused to those closest to him and to communities he once represented. “In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika,” he admits. “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state.”
The letter also directly addresses the Black community, which Ye calls “the foundation of who I am.” He adds, “I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.” The statement reflects a broader attempt to reconnect with audiences who once viewed him as a defining cultural voice but later distanced themselves amid repeated controversies.
Ye details a four-month manic episode in early 2025 that he says was marked by paranoia and psychosis. During that period, he admits, “My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.” He credits his wife, Bianca Censori, with urging him to seek consistent treatment and describes finding unexpected comfort in online forums where others with bipolar disorder shared similar experiences.
Importantly, Ye stops short of asking for absolution. “I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass,” he writes. “I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.” He outlines a renewed commitment to medication, therapy, exercise, and what he calls “positive, meaningful art,” including music and design.
The letter arrives days before the expected release of Ye’s new album Bully, scheduled for January 30 after multiple delays.
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