Kanye West, now known as Ye, dropped a full-page Wall Street Journal apology linking his 2002 car accident to years of antisemitic outbursts.
The rapper claims undiagnosed brain damage from the crash led to his Hitler praise and s####### merchandise sales.
Twenty-five years ago, Ye broke his jaw and injured his right frontal lobe in a car accident that changed everything. Doctors focused on visible damage like fractures and swelling while missing the deeper brain trauma that went unnoticed for decades.
“Comprehensive scans were not done, neurological exams were limited, and the possibility of a frontal-lobe injury was never raised,” Ye wrote in his apology.
The medical oversight wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023, causing serious mental health damage and his bipolar type-1 diagnosis. The accident happened in October 2002 when Ye fell asleep at the wheel, driving home from a Chicago recording studio.
His jaw was shattered in three places, while the other driver broke both legs in the collision. Ye recorded his breakthrough single “Through the Wire” with his jaw still wired shut from the crash. The song launched his career, but the brain injury remained hidden for over two decades.
Bipolar disorder creates its own defense system through denial, Ye explained. Manic episodes make you feel like you’re seeing clearly when you’re actually losing grip on reality completely.
“Once people label you as ‘crazy,’ you feel as if you cannot contribute anything meaningful to the world,” he wrote. The World Health Organization shows bipolar disorder shortens life expectancy by 10 to 15 years on average.
“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,” Ye continued. “I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem.”
He said and did things he deeply regrets, treating the people he loved most in the worst possible way.
“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the s#######, and even sold T-shirts bearing it,” Ye admitted. The disconnected moments from bipolar type-1 led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that felt like out-of-body experiences.
Wearing a black ski mask, Ye praised Adolf Hitler and denied the Holocaust on live television. After the show, Ye posted a s####### fused with a Star of David on Twitter. Elon Musk banned him from the platform within hours for violating hate speech policies.
The Hitler comments came after months of escalating antisemitic rhetoric throughout 2022. Ye threatened to go “death con 3 on Jewish people” on Twitter and accused Jewish executives of controlling the music industry.
He claimed Jewish people were trying to “black ball” anyone opposing their agenda during interviews with Tucker Carlson on Fox News. Producers cut his most offensive remarks about Hanukkah, in which he taught “financial engineering,” from the segments that aired.
Shopify removed the site within days after widespread backlash from Jewish organizations and civil rights groups.
“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 clarified.
In early 2025, Ye fell into a four-month manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed his life. The situation became so unsustainable that he didn’t want to be here anymore. His wife, Bianca Censori, encouraged him to finally get help when he hit rock bottom a few months ago.
Ye found comfort in Reddit forums where people shared similar manic and depressive episodes.
“I read their stories and realized that I was not alone,” he wrote. Many people ruin their entire lives once a year despite taking medication daily and being misdiagnosed by top doctors.
Some doctors told him he was experiencing “symptoms of autism” rather than bipolar disorder. The misdiagnosis delayed proper treatment for years while his condition worsened. The rapper also apologized to the Black community after several stunts, including wearing KKK robes as some sort of twisted fashion statement.
“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,” Ye added.
Ye acknowledged that his words as a community leader have a global impact. During mania, he lost complete sight of that responsibility and the damage his statements caused. He’s now finding his new baseline through medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living.
The effective treatment regime has given him newfound clarity about his actions and their consequences.
“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” Ye concluded.
The rap star is pouring energy into positive art, including music, clothing, design, and new ideas to help the world. Ye emphasized he’s not a Nazi or antisemite and loves Jewish people.
The rapper is asking for patience and understanding as he finds his way home through proper medical treatment and accountability.
Read his entire apology below:
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 ten to fifteen 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 s#######, 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 realized 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
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