On his very first single, 2003’s “Through the Wire,” Kanye West rapped through a jaw that was still wired shut from a recent car accident.
Now, West claims that same accident caused brain damage that led to his recent spate of erratic behavior and bigoted remarks.
Recent headlines about the rapper have had little to do with music and much to do with West’s apparent mental illness and anti-semitic remarks.
Today, Kanye took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal in order to apologize and explain.
“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 says of the incident. “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.”
According to Kanye’s lengthy apology, neurological tests were “limited” in the immediate aftermath, and the “possibility of a frontal-lobe injury” was never considered.
West went on to explain that he is “in constant mental illness” as a result of his injury, adding that the situation became untenable last year.
“In early 2025, I fell into a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life,” West wrote in his apology.
“As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore,” he continued, adding:
“When you go into a manic episode, you are ill at that point. When you are not in an episode, you are completely ‘normal’. And that’s when the wreckage from the illness hits the hardest.”
Kanye went on to state that his wife, Bianca Censori, was instrumental in helping him find the help he needed.
“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,” he continued.
“You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
Kanye added that in addition to his traumatic brain injury, he suffers from bipolar disorder.
“One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments — many of which I still cannot recall — that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience,” West wrote.
“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 says that through therapy, medication, and seeking community with others who have faced similar struggles, he has learned how to manage his illness.
“My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that,” he wrote.
“As I find my new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity.”
Kanye’s remorse seems genuine, but his crimes against basic human decency were immense. Hopefully, his future actions will align with the words he offered today.