Disturbed’s David Draiman Responds to Kanye West’s Public Apology

Disturbed frontman David Draiman has offered a public response and an open invitation to rapper Kanye West on Monday (Jan. 26) after West took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal issuing a formal apology for his frequent antisemitic behavior in recent years.

In the ad, West revealed that he’s been getting treatment for a brain condition after undergoing what he called “a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life” last year.

West claims his hate speech was a result of losing touch with reality and he offered, “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.”

What David Draiman Said After Reading Kanye West’s Public Apology

David Draiman, the frontman for Disturbed, has been one of the more vocal public figures to speak out against antisemitism. Draiman has previously reached out to public figures that have voiced support of an opposing stance and sought discussions about the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine.

After reading West’s public apology, Draiman offered his own public response through his social media accounts. While Draiman thanked West for the public apology to the Jewish community, he was not sure that it would ever be enough to cover the damage done. That said, Draiman did offer the rapper some suggestions that would help in atoning for his previous actions.

Dear @kanyewest,

Thank you for this.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t undo the damage done, I’m not sure anything ever could … but allow me to suggest also …

1. Participating in Black/Jewish unity events, I’ll go with you?

2. Deleting “Heil Hitler” from your catalog?

#KanyeWest

What Kanye West Said in His Public Apology

West’s public apology comes at a time in which he’s preparing to release his latest album Bully. In it, he shares that his bipolar condition played a role in his actions, as did a previously not properly diagnosed frontal-lobe injury that he had previously suffered.

He had previously once apologized for his antisemitic remarks only to later retract the apology and go on to sell swastika shirts and record the track “Heil Hitler.”

His full commentary that appeared in the Wall Street Journal ad reads as follows:

To Those I’ve Hurt:

Twenty-five years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain. At the time, the focus was on the visible damage — the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed.

Comprehensive scans were not done, neurological exams were limited, and the possibility of a frontal-lobe injury was never raised. It wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023. That medical oversight caused serious damage to my mental health and led to my bipolar type-1 diagnosis.

Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense 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.

Once people label you as “crazy,” you feel as if you cannot contribute anything meaningful to the world. It’s easy for people to joke and laugh it off when in fact this is a very serious debilitating disease you can die from. According to the World Health Organization and Cambridge University, people with bipolar disorder have a life expectancy that is shortened by ten to fifteen years on average, and a 2x-3x higher all-cause mortality rate than the general population. This is on par with severe heart disease, type 1 diabetes, HIV, and cancer — all lethal and fatal if left untreated.

The scariest thing about this disorder is how persuasive it is when it tells you: You don’t need help. It makes you blind, but convinced you have insight. You feel powerful, certain, unstoppable.

I lost touch with reality. 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, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.

In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it. 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 behavior 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.

To the black community — which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times. The black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.

In early 2025, I fell into a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life. As the situation became increasingly unsustainable, there were times I didn’t want to be here anymore.

Having bipolar disorder is notable state of constant mental illness. 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. Hitting rock bottom a few months ago, my wife encouraged me to finally get help.

I have found comfort in Reddit forums of all places. Different people speak of being in manic or depressive episodes of a similar nature. I read their stories and realized that I was not alone. It’s not just me who ruins their entire life once a year despite taking meds every day and being told by the so-called best doctors in the world that I am not bipolar, but merely experiencing “symptoms of autism.”

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 center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity. I am pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world.

I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”

With love,

Ye