Kanye West was in a “four-month long manic episode”, according to a bombshell open letter to the Wall Street Journal. His wife Bianca Censori was forced to intervene in “early 2025”, with Kanye admitting he suffered from suicidal thoughts emphasised by his bipolar disorder – a diagnosis he went public with back in 2016.

Kanye blamed the manic episode for his antisemitic rants on social media, insisting he “loves Jewish people”. He said he is “not a Nazi or an antisemite” in the letter, which began: “In early 2025, I fell into a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life. As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore.

“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.”

He insisted Bianca encouraged him to “finally get help” after he reached “rock bottom”.

He addressed his message to “those I’ve hurt”, claiming the issues stemmed from a car crash 25 years ago which reportedly injured the right frontal lobe of his brain.

Kanye said: “Bipolar disorder comes with its own defence system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting. You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.”

The statement continued: “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. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognisable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.

“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 behaviour that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience.

“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.”

He said he is “so sorry to have let [the Black community] down”, adding: “My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that. 

“As I find my new baseline and new centre through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity.”

The rapper claimed he is not expecting sympathy or a free pass, but wants to instead “earn” forgiveness, asking fans for “patience and understanding”. 

If you have been affected by this story, you can contact the Samaritans, call 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit https://www.samaritans.org/