Kanye West shuts down claims his apology was a 'PR move'

Kanye West has pushed back against social media speculation that his recent lengthy apology was a PR stunt ahead of his upcoming album, Bully.

On Monday (26 January), West – who legally changed his name to Ye in 2018 – published a letter in the Wall Street Journal, addressing his past anti-Semitic comments and actions, including selling T-shirts bearing a swastika and releasing a song titled 'Heil Hitler'.

In the letter, he apologised to the Jewish community for his wrongdoings, stating: "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite," and that he "loves Jewish people".

He also extended an apology to the Black community, who he said has "held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times."

The unexpected and candid letter was met with speculation on social media that it was timed to coincide with Bully, which has faced multiple delays and is now expected to drop on 30 January.

Now, in a Vanity Fair interview, West has released another statement addressing the claims directly.

"It’s my understanding that I was in the top 10 most listened-to artists overall in the U.S. on Spotify in 2025, and last week and most days as well. My upcoming album, Bully, is currently one of the most anticipated pre-saves of any album on Spotify too," he said.

"My 2007 album, Graduation, was also the most listened-to and streamed hip-hop album of 2025.

"This, for me, as evidenced by the letter, isn’t about reviving my commerciality. This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit."

"I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular," he continued.

In the interview, West also revealed he kept a "checklist" of his past wrongdoings, which he said had ultimately left many of his relationships strained or damaged.

Getty Images

Kanye West's WSJ apology letter in full:

"To Those I’ve Hurt:

"Twenty-five years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my 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.

"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.

"Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial. 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.

"Once people label you as “crazy,” you feel as if you cannot 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.

"According to the World Health Organization and Cambridge University, people with bipolar disorder have a life expectancy that is shortened by 10 to 15 years on average, and a 2x-3x higher all-cause mortality rate than the general population. This is on par with severe heart disease, type 1 diabetes, HIV, and cancer – all lethal and fatal if left untreated.

"The scariest thing about this disorder 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, unstoppable.

"I lost touch with reality. Things got 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.

"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 led 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.

"To the black community - which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times. The black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.

"In early 2025, I fell into a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life. As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore.

"Having bipolar disorder is notable state of constant mental illness. When you go into a manic episode, you are ill at that point. 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 encouraged me to finally get help.

"I have found comfort in Reddit forums of all places. Different people speak of being in manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature. I read their stories and realised that I was not alone. 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”.

"My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.

"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.

"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.

With love,

Ye".

You should also read...

• Kanye West apologises for antisemitic remarks in full-page ad
• 3 things we learnt from Bianca Censori’s new interview on her controversial stunts

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.