Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is apologizing for the "unintended" antisemitic remarks he's made toward the Jewish community.
On Instagram early Tuesday morning, the rapper shared a statement fully in Hebrew.
"I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions," the post reads, translated to English. "It was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused."
The 46-year-old ended the post, which garnered nearly 1.4 million likes in 13 hours, by saying he is "committed" to learning from the experience to better his understanding of the community in the future.
"Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity," he said.
While the timing of the apology is unclear, it comes weeks before Ye is expected to drop new music, a joint album titled "Vultures." It'll be the first project under his collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign, with the duo being dubbed ¥$, and Ye's first release since the 2022 demo album, "Donda 2."
Late last month, ¥$ performed a song—also called "Vultures"—at a club in Dubai to promote the album. It drew criticism due to the lyrics, "How I'm antisemitic? I just f***ed a Jewish b***h."
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But since October 2022, Ye has made and shared a slew of antisemitic comments and conspiracy theories, costing him significant deals with brands like Adidas and much of the public's sympathy and respect.
Ye's X account, then known as Twitter, had been suspended after he posted he was going "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE," though it and his Instagram account were reinstated. He later apologized for the tweet, but last December, he came under fire again after telling right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones there were "good things" about Hitler.
The Anti-Defamation League has categorized Ye as an antisemite on its website glossary, citing his praise for Hitler and his engagement in Holocaust denial and trivialization.
After his apology Tuesday, the organization said Ye has made a step toward forgiveness but that he has a long way to go.
After causing untold damage by using his vast influence and platform to poison countless minds with vicious antisemitism and hate, an apology in Hebrew may be the first step on a long journey towards making amends to the Jewish community and all those who he has hurt. Ultimately,… pic.twitter.com/LXuahMkqzn
— ADL (@ADL) December 26, 2023
"After causing untold damage by using his vast influence and platform to poison countless minds with vicious antisemitism and hate, an apology in Hebrew may be the first step on a long journey towards making amends to the Jewish community and all those who he has hurt," the ADL said in a statement. "Ultimately, actions will speak louder than words but this initial act of contrition is welcome."
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