Kanye West has once again publicly apologised for his controversial anti-Semitic comments, in a full-page statement published in the Wall Street Journal’s print edition on Monday.
The apology, titled “To Those I Have Hurt”, represents the rapper’s latest attempt to address backlash over his earlier remarks, which drew widespread condemnation. The statement was paid for by West’s company, Yeezy, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In the letter, West explained that his past behaviour was linked to a brain injury he sustained in a car accident more than two decades ago. He said the accident, which occurred 25 years ago, fractured his jaw and caused damage to the right frontal lobe of his brain. West added that at the time, no comprehensive scans were performed and the possibility of frontal-lobe injury was never considered.
He said the injury was not properly diagnosed until 2023 and that the delay had a significant impact on his mental health, eventually leading to a bipolar type-1 diagnosis.
“25 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. “No comprehensive scans were done as at the time, neurological exams were limited. The possibility of frontal-lobe injury was never raised. It was properly diagnosed in 2023. That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health, leading to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis.”
The latest apology comes nearly three years after the Jewish organisation StopAntisemitism rejected West’s previous apology, saying it did not adequately address the harm caused.
West’s continued public attempts at reconciliation highlight the ongoing fallout from his comments, as he seeks to repair his public image and address the controversy surrounding his statements.