By Kanishka Singh and Dan Williams
(Reuters) – The artist formerly known as Kanye West issued an apology to the Jewish community on Tuesday for his antisemitic remarks that sparked a lot of criticism, saying he sought forgiveness and regretted any pain that his words had caused.
The rapper, who now goes by the name Ye, sparked outrage last year with his erratic posts on social media. One of his posts had appeared to show a swastika symbol inside a Star of David. He also praised Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
“I sincerely apologise to the Jewish community for any unplanned outburst. …. It was not my intent to hurt or disrespect, and I very much regret any pain I may have caused,” the musician, wrote on Instagram in Hebrew.
After Ye went on a string of antisemitic rants in interviews and on social media, he lost his partnership with Adidas and Gap for Yeezy products. His remarks also led to restrictions on his social media accounts at the time.
“I am committed to begin with myself and to learn from this experience in order to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future,” Ye wrote on Instagram in Hebrew on Tuesday.
“Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to repair and to advancing unity.”
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Dan Williams; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
