Kanye West Apologizes for Antisemitic Rants and Blames 'Undiagnosed Brain Injury' for '4-Month Manic Episode' — 'I'm Deeply Mortified By My Actions'
Kanye West has apologized for his shocking behavior from 2025.
Jan. 26 2026, Published 2:10 p.m. ET
Kanye West has apologized after making antisemitic remarks last year, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The infamous rapper took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to explain to fans what went on last year and beg for forgiveness.
Kanye West's Car Accident Caused a Brain Injury
West credited his wife, Bianca Censori, for encouraging him to get help.
West began by explaining a car accident he was in 25 years ago caused injury to the "frontal lobe" of his 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," he wrote. "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."
West explained his bipolar disorder comes equipped with its own "defense system" and "denial."
"When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick," he noted. "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."
Kanye West's Bipolar Disorder Made Him 'Blind'
West said he was in a 'fractured state' last year.
West shared that once people with bipolar disorder are labeled as crazy, they feel like they can't "contribute anything meaningful to the world."
"It’s easy for people to joke and laugh it off when in fact this is a very serious, debilitating disease you can die from," the Monster rapper continued, adding the "scariest thing" about the disease 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, and unstoppable."
West then acknowledged he "lost touch with reality."
"Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem," he said. "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 love someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. 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 lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior 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."
Kanye West's 'Four-Month Long Manic Episode' Revealed
West said his bipolar disorder is not a 'state of constant mental illness.'
West went on to shout out the "black community" for holding him down during his tough times.
"In early 2025, I fell into a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life," he explained. "As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore."
West further detailed his condition, noting it's not a "state of constant mental illness."
"When you go into the manic episode, you are ill at that point," he stated. "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 (Bianca Censori) encouraged me to finally get help."
West added he's "found comfort in Reddit forums."
"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," he added. "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.”
Kanye West Doesn't Want a 'Free Pass' But He Wants Forgiveness
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The controversial rapper said he's 'not asking for sympathy.'
The controversial hitmaker concluded by acknowledging his "words as a leader in my community have real global impact and influence" and that he lost sight of that in his "mania."
"As I find my new baseline and new center 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," he shared.
"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."
In 2025, West made several antisemitic remarks about Jews, including saying he was going to go "death con 3" on Jewish people and making merchandise branded with a swastika.
