Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is currently on an apology tour to repair his much-damaged image.
In an open letter placed in the Wall Street Journal addressed "To Those I've Hurt," Ye detailed his history of mental health struggles, which he said stems from an undiagnosed injury that he suffered in his 2002 car accident.
"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," Ye wrote. "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."
Ye claimed that his bipolar disorder diagnosis was a catalyst for his erratic behavior, writing, “As I find my new baseline and new center through an effective regimen of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity.”
He also described experiencing a four-month manic episode during which he felt “detached” from himself—an episode he said led him to engage in hateful behavior, including embracing Nazism.
“In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it,” West wrote.
The very next day, he doubled down on his apology. This time, he gave an email interview with Vanity Fair, pushing back against the idea that his apology was an attempt to revive his commercial viability. Instead, he insisted that the remorse was genuine.
“These remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit,” he said. “I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular.”
Sceptics of Kanye West’s new tone have focused on the fact these statements were written and the timing of his apology. His latest album, Bully, is slated to drop on Jan. 30, leading some fans to question its sincerity. Adding to the doubt is the fact that West is set to play two concerts at Plaza de Toros La México in Mexico City this weekend. Together, these factors have left many wondering whether the sentiment is genuine or being driven by his team.
One thing that should be noted is that Ye has had time to publicly apologize many times over the years. Here’s a history of Kanye West apologizing for his actions.
September 2009: Kanye apologizes for interrupting Taylor Swift’s VMAs speech.
Ahh, back when Kanye West controversies were mild.
At the 2009 MTV VMAs, he infamously interrupted Taylor Swift after she won Best Female Video over Beyoncé’s "Single Ladies."
“Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'ma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!," Kanye said at the time.
Later that night on his blog, Kanye shared a post in all caps offering an apology to Swift for his role in the incident. He also made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno the next night, tearfully stating, "I immediately knew in the situation that it was wrong... I'd like to apologize to her in person.”
After initially expressing remorse, West would walk back the sentiment during an interview with the New York Times in 2013, saying he didn't have "one regret" and that he had been pressured into apologizing to Swift.
November 2010: Kanye apologizes to George W. Bush for saying he "doesn’t care about Black people"
On September 2, 2005, during a Hurricane Katrina telethon segment with Mike Myers, West made one of his most well-known statements. Going off script, he expressed his dismay at former President George W. Bush’s handling of the disaster.
"George Bush doesn't care about Black people," he famously said.
Myers was shocked. The camera quickly pivoted to Chris Tucker, who shared the same stunned expression. Compared to other remarks Kanye would make, this statement would age well—an act of defiance directed at an unpopular president.
But five years later he had a change of art. And West offered an apology to Bush on the TODAY Show.
"I would tell George Bush, in my moment of frustration, I didn't have the grounds to call him a racist," West said. "But I believe that in a situation of high emotion like that, we as human beings don't always choose the right words. And that's why I'm here."
Bush would graciously accept the apology, even if he mispronounced Kanye’s name. "I appreciate it," Bush said. "I don't hate Conway West."
May 2018: Kanye apologizes to Nike chairman emeritus Phil Knight and CEO Mark Parker.
Before he linked up with Adidas, Kanye West was famously connected with Nike. Of course, that relationship eventually ended, and Ye didn’t have the nicest things to say about Nike.
During an interview with Breakfast Club co-host Charlamagne tha God, West shared his thoughts on the footwear industry and his past relationship with Nike. Then he apologized to Nike Chairman Emeritus Phil Knight and CEO Mark Parker.
“Phil Knight, whom I have the most respect for, and I have respect for everyone at Nike, too,” West said. “These guys, Mark Parker—I just need to speak out as a parent and apologize to this man for ever speaking ill on his name and his company, because he gave me that shot when we did the original Yeezy at Nike.”
August 2018: Kanye Apologizes for saying "slavery was choice."
In 2018, during a visit to TMZ Live, Ye infamously remarked that 400 years of slavery sounded "like a choice." On one of the rare occasions when he was confronted about his views in public, Van Lathan, who was working for TMZ at the time, expressed his disappointment in West’s perspective on the enslaved ancestors.
Ye would later appear on Chicago's 107.5 WGCI, and he offered an emotional apology: "I don't know if I properly apologized for how that slave comment made people feel... I’m sorry for the one-two effect of the MAGA hat in the slave comment."
September 2018: Kanye apologizes to Drake for Pusha T’s disses.
When Drake and Pusha-T were embroiled in a feud, West found himself caught in the middle: the Virginia rapper was the president of West's record label, G.O.O.D. Music, while Drake was a frequent collaborator with Ye.
In an attempt to make amends, West apologized to Drake in a series of tweets. He denied that he provided Pusha-T information about Drake’s son, which was the basis of the diss track “The Story of Adidon.” I don’t play with the idea of people’s children after I spoke to Wiz [Khalifa] a few years earlier,” Kanye wrote in a now-deleted tweet. He concluded, “This is all Jedi level. I will be coming to your show within the next seven days to give love and be inspired by the art you have created.”
Eventually, he demanded that Drake give him an apology for dissing his Adidas Yeezy Boost 350s on “No Stylist.”
December 2018: Kanye apologizes to Cher for his behavior at her Broadway show.
Even at a Broadway show, West has the innate ability to find controversy. While attending the opening night of The Cher Show with his then-wife Kim Kardashian, West was seen on his phone during the performance.
Jarrod Spector, who played Sonny Bono, tweeted from backstage: “Hey @kanyewest, so cool that you’re here at @TheCherShow!” If you look up from your cell phone, you'll see we're doing a show up here.” West apologized in a tweet to Cher and the cast of the Broadway production. He claimed he was so inspired by the stage show that he was taking notes on his phone.
“To Cher and the Cher show team, the dynamics of Cher and Sonny’s relationship made Kim and I grab each other’s hands and sing ‘I got you babe’ please pardon my lack of etiquette,” he wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “We have so much appreciation for the energy you guys put into making this masterpiece.”
September 2022: Kanye apologizes to Kim Kardashian.
Following a series of rants on social media, West offered a public apology to his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.
Speaking with anchor Linsey Davis, West said, “This is the mother of my children, and I apologize for any stress that I have caused,” Ye said at the time. “Even in my frustration, because God calls me to be stronger… I need this person to be least-stressed and [to have] the best, sound mind and as calm as possible to be able to raise those children.”
Ye went on to say that he had to “fight” for his voice as they co-parent their children, comparing his familial arrangement to his relationship with Gap and adidas.
“I do have a voice, but I had to fight for it,” he told Davis. “That hurts when you have to, like, scream about what your kids are wearing.”
December 2022: Kanye apologizes for anti-semitic comments on Ssocial media.
After a series of antisemitic tweets and interviews, Kanye told Piers Morgan in an interview that he was "sorry for the people that I hurt" and the "confusion that I caused.”
He added, "Hurt people hurt people, and I was hurt."
When asked if he understood that his statements were racist, West replied, “Yeah, obviously that’s why I said it … Yes. I fought fire with fire. I’m not here to get hosed down.”
“I really want to give you guys a big hug,” he continued. “I want to word it, in not like a political way but in a presidential way. Which means what I knew a president to be when I was growing up.”
The interview was definitely confusing. When asked if he wanted to apologize for his “DEFCON 3 on Jewish people” post, Ye declined the opportunity.
December 2023: Kanye apologizes for "DEFCON 3" comments.
DEFCON 3 is a term used by the U.S. military to describe a specific state of alert. In 2022, West used the phrase in a tweet in reference to "Jewish people," which sparked widespread controversy.
Ahead of the release of his collaborative album with Ty Dollar $ign, Vultures 1, he posted an apology in Hebrew on Instagram. He asked the Jewish community for forgiveness, stating that he was “learning from this experience.”
“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” he wrote.
April 2025: Kanye apologizes to Jay-Z for making remarks about his children
Even Jay-Z, Ye’s former mentor and frequent collaborator, was not immune to his verbal attacks. In a new low, he spoke ill of Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s twins, Rumi and Sir, in March 2025.
“Wait, has anyone ever seen Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s younger kids?” before using the R-word to describe the children in a tweet. (He later deleted the post.)
The next month, Ye apologized before avenging himself.
“I’m sorry, Jay Z,” Ye wrote.
“I be feeling bad about my tweet, but I still feel I gave my life to this industry and thought so many people were my family, but when I needed family on some real shit, none of these rap n***as had my back.”