Content Warning: The following article contains sensitive subjects concerning mental health and wellness that may be triggering to some readers.
A one-page ad taken out of the printed edition of the Wall Street Journal has left the internet in chaos. Written as an apology letter, it is by polarizing rapper, producer, and designer Ye Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
Titled “To Those I’ve Hurt,” the letter is on the last page of section A on the January 26 print of the WSJ. Yeezy purchased the ad space, with contact information to Yeezy’s CFO Lalani Hussein.
The letter opens bluntly on Ye’s traumatic experience in a car accident at the beginning of his music career. “25 years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain. 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.”
On October 23, 2002, Ye drove home from a recording session in Los Angeles. Two weeks prior, Ye signed to Roc-a-Fella Records. This cemented his growth as an artist, breaking from his sole producer title. At around three in the morning, Ye fell asleep at the wheel of his car. The West Hollywood crash resulted in nasal fractures and a jaw shattered in three places, which led to Ye’s jaw being wired shut for six weeks. After only two weeks of recovery, Ye recorded verses (with a wired jaw) for his debut solo “Through the Wire.” This solo would go on to be one of the “Greatest Debut Singles of All Time,” per Rolling Stone.
Ye alleges the brain damage went unnoticed until 2023, when he received a “… bipolar type-1 diagnosis.” He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016 following hospitalization from a psychiatric emergency after cancelling his “Saint Pablo” tour.
Signs of concern continued into 2020 and 2024, when he announced his campaigns for presidency while becoming a vocal supporter of Donald Trump.
The letter continued to explain Ye’s denial in his diagnosis. He previously stated—in a text with Elon Musk in 2023, and an interview with David Letterman in 2025—that he believed his bipolar disorder was actually misdiagnosed autism. From the letter, Ye now seems sure that the bipolar diagnosis was correct. “Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick…You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.”
Last year, Ye garnered more judgment for his comments on far-right ideology. This included antisemitism and the use of Nazi imagery in his merchandise and art.
“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it.”
He described this time frame as “…a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”
He apologized to the Jewish community for his past actions and words:
“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.”
Ye then apologized to the Black community, explaining how they “held [him] 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.”
To say Ye’s letter received mixed reactions would be an understatement. Some praised the “Heartless” rapper for the strength and courage to come out with an apology. Others, however, do not see this letter as a pure-hearted apology. Fans, critics, and large publications alike are speculating if the ad is a publicity stunt. This is because a pre-release announcement on Ye’s Spotify announced his latest album BULLY, set to release on January 30.
Ye’s letter has brought up a broader discussion on mental health and the struggles of dealing with bipolar disorder. Some apologize and empathize with his experiences with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Others are cautious due to his multiple diagnoses and continued controversial behavior.
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