Kanye West Admits He ‘Was Drinking’ When He Wrote 2022 Antisemitic Tweet

Kanye West recently disclosed that he was under the influence of alcohol when he posted an antisemitic tweet, igniting widespread backlash. In an interview on Candace Owens’ podcast Candace, released on August 7, the 47-year-old rapper revealed that he had been drinking at the time. “I was drinking when I put up the DEFCON tweet,” West confessed, further elaborating that the alcohol he consumed was Hennessy, which he claimed brings out the “demons.”

Candace Owens, a 35-year-old political commentator, asked West why he hadn’t clarified earlier that he was intoxicated. West responded that he didn’t want his inebriation to discredit the tweet, as he still viewed the comments as his “truth.”

Back in October 2022, West faced severe repercussions from Meta and Twitter due to a series of antisemitic posts. Instagram restricted his account and removed certain content for violating the platform’s rules, though the specific content was not disclosed by Meta, according to NBC News and CNN.

One of the now-deleted posts was a screenshot of a text exchange with Diddy, where West implied that Diddy was controlled by Jewish people. “Jesus is Jew,” he wrote in the caption, as reported by NBC News.

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) quickly condemned West’s language, accusing him of perpetuating harmful antisemitic stereotypes such as greed and control. In an official statement, the AJC said, “Kanye West should figure out how to make a point without using antisemitism. Over the last week, the musician has fomented hatred of Jews.” They referenced an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight where West suggested Jared Kushner’s work with Israel was financially motivated. The AJC emphasized that such rhetoric reinforces dangerous stereotypes and urged West to realize the impact of his words.

Following a controversial appearance at his Yeezy show during Paris Fashion Week, where he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt, West’s social media activity continued to spark controversy. He posted on Twitter, questioning Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg about his Instagram ban. “Look at this Mark. How you gone kick me off Instagram?” he tweeted alongside a photo of them singing karaoke.

Elon Musk welcomed West back to the platform now known as X (formerly Twitter), but West’s account has since been banned and reinstated several times. Most recently, West deactivated his account in April 2024 after announcing that Yeezy adult content was forthcoming, as reported by Billboard.

Not long after his reinstatement, one of West’s tweets on his X account was taken down for violating the company’s rules. In that deleted tweet, West had written, “I’m going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, he continued, “I’m a