Kanye West admits he ‘was drinking’ when he tweeted about going ‘DEFCON 3 on Jewish people’

West’s controversial 2022 tweets led to him being dropped by brands including Adidas, Balenciaga and Gap

Kanye West has admitted to being under the influence of alcohol while sending anti-semitic tweets in 2022.

The rapper faced controversy after writing on Twitter (now named X) that he was going “death con 3 on Jewish people.” West’s account was temporarily locked as a result and the tweet was deleted by the platform.

“I was drinking when I put up the DEFCON tweet,” West said in a newly-shared 2022 interview with Candace Owens on her podcast Candace. DEFCON is an acronym that refers to the state of alert of America’s militaries.

West continued: “You wanna know what alcohol I had inside me? Hennessy. It turns us gray. The demons [come out].”

When asked why he didn’t explain that he was intoxicated earlier, West said he didn’t want to be “discredited” because he still considered the comments his “truth.”

His sentiments led Adidas to sever ties with West and end its lucrative Yeezy footwear partnership, calling the comments “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous.” Clothing brand Gap, which had also collaborated with the rapper on a clothing line, stopped stocking products affiliated with West.

Kanye West has faced intense backlash over anti-semitic comments dating back to 2022 (Getty Images)

West’s anti-Jewish rhetoric intensified in December 2022, when he said there were “good things” about Hitler in an interview with right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Following the interview, West also posted an image of a swastika blended with a Star of David.

West later apologized to the Jewish community in December 2023.

In a statement written in Hebrew and posted on his Instagram account, he said (as translated by Google): “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 demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused. 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 unity,” he added.

West is currently facing a series of lawsuits linked to his anti-semitic behavior. Earlier this year, former Yeezy employee Trevor Phillips sued the star, claiming discrimination, a hostile work environment, whistleblower retaliation and unsafe working conditions, among other allegations.

In February, West claimed that Adidas was suing him for a further $250m.