In a surprising move toward redemption, Ye appeared in a video meeting with Rabbi Yoshiayao Yosef Pinto in which he addressed past hateful remarks directed at the Jewish community and expressed deep remorse.
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“I feel really blessed to be able to sit here with you today and just take accountability,” Ye told the rabbi. “I was dealing with some various issues, dealing with bipolar also. So it would take the ideas I had and have me take them to the extreme where I would forget about the protection of the people around me and/or myself.”
Ye went on to elaborate: “People aren’t that knowledgeable about the bipolar and the cause or what causes it and the way you act when you have this disease. So it’s like if you left the house and you left your kid at the house and your kid went and messed up the kitchen and messed up the garage, and messed up the living room. Then when you get back, it’s your responsibility because that’s your job. That’s the way I look at it. It’s like I gotta go clean up the kitchen, I gotta clean up the living room, I gotta clean up the garage.”
He added: “It’s a big deal for me as a man to come and take accountability for all the things that I’ve said, and I really just appreciate you embracing me with open arms and allowing me to make amends. This is the beginning and the first steps and the first brick‑by‑brick to build back the strong walls.”
In prior remarks, Ye made sweeping and inflammatory statements such as “Jewish people have owned the Black voice” and used rhetoric suggesting Jewish influence in media and culture. These comments spurred backlash and severed relationships with brands and business partners.
