Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, has issued a public apology to the Black community through a full-page paid advertisement in The Wall Street Journal, expressing remorse for actions he says caused deep harm and outlining a long history of untreated mental health struggles.
The advertisement, titled “To Those I’ve Hurt,” appeared in the January 26, 2026, edition of the newspaper and was signed simply, “With love, Ye.” In the letter, West attributes his recent behavior to what he describes as an undiagnosed brain injury stemming from a car accident 25 years ago, coupled with bipolar disorder that he says culminated in a severe manic episode.
“To the Black community—which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times,” West wrote. “The Black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.”
Notably, the apology did not appear in any of the more than 230 Black-owned newspapers that make up the Black Press of America, led by former NAACP President and civil rights activist Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
In the letter, West recounts a 2001 car accident that broke his jaw and, he says, caused injury to the right frontal lobe of his brain—an injury he claims went undiagnosed for more than two decades.
“At the time, the focus was on the visible damage—the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma,” he wrote. “The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.”
West said comprehensive neurological scans were never conducted and that his condition was not properly diagnosed until 2023. He wrote that the delay contributed to the development and escalation of bipolar type I disorder.
Throughout the letter, West described bipolar disorder as an illness that can mask itself as clarity and strength, particularly during manic episodes.
“Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system: denial,” he wrote. “When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting.”
West cited research from the World Health Organization and Cambridge University, stating that individuals with bipolar disorder experience a life expectancy shortened by 10 to 15 years on average and face a two- to threefold increase in all-cause mortality compared to the general population.
The apology also addressed the personal toll of his behavior.
“Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst,” West wrote.
He specifically referenced his use of Nazi imagery, including the sale of merchandise bearing a swastika, actions that drew widespread condemnation.
“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find,” he wrote. “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.”
West closed the letter by emphasizing that he was not seeking absolution without consequence.
“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass,” he wrote. “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
