Kanye West has said alcohol was to blame for an anti-Semitic tweet he posted in 2022.
The rapper was accused of antisemitism in 2022, following a series of posts on Twitter/X and Instagram, which saw his accounts on both social media sites be suspended. In one post West, now known as Ye, wrote: “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”
In a newly-shared interview, which was recorded in 2022, West alleged that he was under the influence of alcohol when he wrote the posts. Speaking to Candace Owens on her podcast Candace, West said: “I was drinking when I put up the DEFCON tweet.”
“You wanna know what alcohol I had inside me? Hennessy. It turns us grey. The demons (come out),” he continued.
West went on to say that he hadn’t revealed this earlier, as he didn’t want his tweets to be “discredited” as drunken ramblings. The rapper also defended his comments, saying he still believes they were the “truth”.
Following the tweet, West was dropped by his lawyer, talent agency and record label, while several fashion brands, including Balenciaga and Adidas, ended their partnerships with him, resulting in him losing billionaire status.
Celebrities and politicians around the world condemned his comments, while West said he didn’t “believe” in the term antisemitism in an interview with News Nation‘s Chris Cuomo.
Since those first claims were made, further allegations of antisemitism have also been levelled against West. In a BBC documentary, The Trouble With KanYe, the star’s former friend and business partner Alex Klein – who worked with him on ‘Donda 2’ – alleged West had said Klein was like “exactly like like the other Jews” and that the rapper believed Jewish people were “working together to hold him back”.
West also reportedly paid a settlement to a former employee who alleged he had used antisemitic language in the workplace and praised Hitler – Ye denied the claims in the agreement. Former TMZ staffer Van Lathan also claimed the star had praised “Hitler and the Nazis” during an interview at the publication’s headquarters in 2018.
It was alleged that the rapper once drew a swastika in a meeting with Adidas about his Yeezy footwear line. He was named “antisemite of the year” by watchdog group StopAntisemitism in December 2022 for “propagating the most Jew hatred in 2022”.
In December 2023, West issued an apology to the Jewish community, written in Hebrew.
The statement read: “I sincerely apologise 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.
West went on to say: “I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me and I am committed to making amends and promoting greater unity.”
The post has since been deleted.
Earlier this year, West was accused of sexual harassment by his former assistant. Lauren Pisciotta filed the lawsuit against the rapper on June 4, claiming he created a hostile work environment due to multiple inappropriate text messages he sent her during her employment. She also accused West of locking her in a room with him and masturbating next to her, amongst other instances of alleged sexual harassment.
West later responded to the claims in a statement made to Rolling Stone via his legal representative who called Pisciotta’s accusations “baseless”. West apparently has plans to countersue Pisciotta, according to the publication.
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