Kanye West’s regrets took a year to come. The American rapper apologized to the Jewish community on Tuesday for anti-Semitic remarks which provoked outrage and ended his lucrative commercial contracts with major brands like Adidas.
“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any outrage caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to shock or disrespect and I truly regret any pain I may have caused,” it is written on his Instagram account in Hebrew, while his new album Cultures is due out January 12.
More than words, “acts” now expected
The musician, who calls himself Ye, says he wants to work on the issue and “learn from this experience to have more sensitivity and understanding in the future.” He also previously wrote in March that watching actor Jonah Hill in the film 21 Jump Street made him “love the Jews again”.
Tuesday’s statement was greeted with caution by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a major American group fighting anti-Semitism. “Actions will speak louder than words, but this first act of contrition is welcome,” commented the association on minds with vicious anti-Semitism and hatred.”
A controversial dinner at Donald Trump’s house
In the fall of 2022, Kanye West, who says he suffers from bipolar disorder, made several outings of an anti-Semitic nature. In an interview a year ago, he said he saw “positive things also regarding Hitler”, “we must stop insulting the Nazis all the time. (…) I love Nazis. » Shortly before, the rapper had displayed the slogan “White Lives Matter” during a parade in Paris, hijacking the name of the anti-racist movement “Black Lives Matter”. He also went to a dinner at Donald Trump’s house in the presence of a white supremacist.
Kanye West then saw his Twitter account suspended for “incitement to violence”, after the publication of an image representing a swastika intertwined with a Star of David – his account has since been reinstated by the social network which has become X.
At the same time, the clothing brand Adidas decided to end its collaboration with the artist, one of the most successful in the world of fashion, notably with the Yeezy sneaker collection. The American ready-to-wear chain Gap and the fashion house Balenciaga had also cut ties.