In an open ad in the January 26 issue of the Wall Street Journal, using the name Ye, Kanye West issued an apology to “Those I’ve Hurt,” explaining his alarming and strange behavior during the past few years, which included public outbursts that made people accuse the once-relevant and prolific entertainer of antisemitism.
According to Vanity Fair, Kanye, who changed his name legally to Ye in 2021, began apologizing by discussing a car accident in 2002 that shattered his jaw.
“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,” he said. “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.”
In spite of these injuries, Ye still recorded his first single, “Through the Wire,” two weeks after the accident, while his jaw was wired shut.
In the apology, Ye said there were “limited” neurological tests available in the aftermath of the accident, but the “possibility of a frontal-lobe injury” was never discussed. He wrote that he was diagnosed with that injury in 2023, adding he feels the accident was part of his struggle with bipolar disorder, which he was diagnosed with in 2016.
However, in 2023, he told Elon Musk in a text message that he wasn’t bipolar, but had signs of autism from his accident.
In his apology, Ye wrote, “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.”
To those people, he said, “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.”
In 2022, Kanye released images and antisemitic statements.
In his apology, Ye said, “I love Jewish people.” He also apologized to the Black community, writing, “I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.”
Coincidentally, Ye, who has won 24 Grammys and sold more than 160 million records around the world, according to Spotify, is releasing his 12th studio album this week — right after this six-figure paid-for ad.