In the lengthy note, titled “To Those I’ve Hurt” (and paid for by Yeezy), West issued his apology alongside a discussion of his battle with bipolar disorder. Noting that he was not properly diagnosed until 2023, West linked his mental health struggles to undiagnosed and unexamined head trauma he might’ve suffered in the 2002 car crash that shattered his jaw (and inspired his debut solo hit, “Through the Wire”).

A day after his apology, West spoke to Vanity Fair and acknowledged the scrutiny around the timing of his open letter, which comes ahead of the release of his album Bully. But West denied that his mea culpa had anything to do with “reviving my commerciality.”

“This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit,” West said. “I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular. All of it went too far. I look at wreckage of my episode and realize that this isn’t who I am. As a public figure, so many people follow and listen to my every word. It’s important that they realize and understand what side of history that I want to stand on. And that is one of love and positivity.”

West expressed similar sentiments in his apology letter, explaining he “lost touch with reality,” during his manic episodes. “Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem,” West added. “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.”

Describing what it’s like to be in a manic episode, West said, “You don’t think you’re sick,” and it feels like “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.”

He added, “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, and unstoppable.”

West went on to admit that in this “fractured state I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it.” (West started selling the swastika merch on his website last February, while a few months later he released a song called “Heil Hitler.” But even before that, there had been other public incidents involving praise for Adolf Hitler and the promotion of Nazi iconography, along with numerous antisemitic outbursts. Rolling Stone has also reported that West’s fascination with Hitler and Nazis goes back several decades.)

In his apology, West continued: “One of the difficult aspects of having biopolar 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.”

West also apologized to the Black community, which he said “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.”

According to West, the four-month “manic episode of psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior” he endured early last year nearly “destroyed my life.” He even appeared to admit to some apparent suicidal ideation, saying, “As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore.” He credited his wife, Bianca Censori, with encouraging him to finally get help after he finally hit “rock bottom a few months ago.” He elaborated to Vanity Fair that an “antipsychotic drug took me into a really deep depressive episode,” and he sought treatment at a rehab facility in Switzerland.

West said he has been searching for a “new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living.” He also said he has found comfort in Reddit forums, where people share their own experiences of “being in manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature.” West said, “I read their stories and realized that I was not alone.”

In closing out his apology, West said he has found some “much-needed clarity” and is putting his “energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world.” He concluded: “I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for you patience and understanding as I find my way home.”

This is not the first time West has apologized for his behavior and offensive comments. In December 2023, after several years’ worth of antisemitic comments, he published a note on Instagram, written in Hebrew, that read, “I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outbursts, caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused.”

It also appears that West is still associating with some of the far-right figures he grew close with over the past several years. The notorious troll and commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, who has held several jobs for West over the years, and reportedly remains a close advisor, proudly posted a screenshot of West’s full-page ad in the WSJ. Yesterday, Yiannopoulos posted, “The problem with these kamikaze Jews is they aren’t remotely as likable, human or frightening as Japs.”