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Ye is finally owning up to his past manic behavior and apologizing for all the pain he's caused over the past few years.
On Monday, January 26, the Wall Street Journal published an ad Ye took out in the outlet's print edition. The ad consists of a lengthy open letter addressed to "Those I Hurt." He begins by revealing the full scope of the injuries he sustained during his infamous 2002 car accident. He was able to treat his broken jaw, but confirmed that the damage to his frontal lobe in his brain went unnoticed. He revealed the damage wasn't diagnosed until 2023 and led to his type-1 bipolar disease.
"I lost touch with reality," Ye explains. "Things got much 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, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self."
Further down in the letter, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West says that he gravitated toward the Swastika while in his "fractured state." He explains his "disconnected moments" led to "poor judgment and reckless behavior," from selling apparel with the hateful symbol to creating a song called "Heil Hitler."
"I regret and am deeply motirifed by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change," he writes. "It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people."
"To the Black community - which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times," he continues. "The Black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us."
Ye also admits to hitting rock bottom during a four-month manic episode in 2025. He revealed there were times when he "didn't want to be here anymore." That's when the true wreckage from his disease hit him the most. He didn't seek help until his wife Bianca Censori encouraged him to do so.
"I'm not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness," he concludes. "I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home."