American rapper and fashion entrepreneur Kanye West has issued another public apology for his past antisemitic statements, attributing his controversial outbursts to a brain injury sustained in a car accident more than two decades ago.
The apology, titled “To Those I Have Hurt,” was published in the print edition of The Wall Street Journal on Monday. The message was personally signed by West and marked as a paid publication sponsored by his fashion brand, Yeezy, according to reports by the Daily Mail.
In the statement, West said a serious car accident 25 years ago left him with an undiagnosed injury to the right frontal lobe of his brain, which he claims contributed significantly to his long-standing mental health struggles.
“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,” West wrote. “At the time, no comprehensive scans were done, and neurological examinations were limited. The possibility of frontal-lobe injury was never raised.”
He added that the injury was only properly diagnosed in 2023, describing the delay as a “medical oversight” that he said had severe consequences for his mental health.
“That oversight caused serious damage to my mental health, ultimately leading to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis,” he said.
West’s latest apology comes nearly three years after Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism rejected an earlier apology issued by the artist following a series of antisemitic remarks that sparked widespread backlash, severed business partnerships and drew condemnation from civil rights organisations, public figures and fans.
The renewed apology appears to be an effort by West to publicly acknowledge the harm caused by his remarks while offering context for his behaviour through his medical history. However, it remains unclear how advocacy groups and the wider public will respond to the statement.
West, one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern popular culture, has faced repeated criticism over the years for offensive comments and erratic public behaviour, often linked to discussions about his mental health.
His latest statement adds a new dimension to that narrative, while reopening debate over accountability, illness and the impact of public speech.