KISS frontman Paul Stanley has insisted mental illness is no reason to excuse Kanye West’s antisemitic outbursts.
West’s Instagram and Twitter accounts were locked last weekend after he shared posts that violated both platforms’ guidelines – including comments aimed at fellow rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs accusing “Jewish people” of telling him to call and “threaten or influence me.”
He later doubled down on the antisemitic comments by tweeting he was, “going death con 3 (sic) On JEWISH PEOPLE”.
The comments drew widespread condemnation from the likes of Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Legend, and Jack Antonoff, as well as leaders from Jewish community organizations.
However, some expressed concern that a mental health episode might be behind the comments, as West has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the latest comments came amid a spate of erratic behavior.
Paul Stanley, who is Jewish, has been supportive in the past when West has faced criticism over his actions but tweeted that mental illness cannot be used as a pass for spreading hate.
Mental Illness IS a disease but should NEVER be used to minimize the danger of hate speech, advocating anti-semitism and violence against religions or ethnicities. We have found ways over centuries to rationalize this behavior and viewed the atrocities that followed. SPEAK UP! pic.twitter.com/ULtcRk8lPs
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) October 11, 2022
“Mental illness IS a disease but should NEVER be used to minimize the danger of hate speech, advocating antisemitism and violence against religions or ethnicities,” he wrote. “We have found ways over centuries to rationalize this behavior and viewed the atrocities that followed. SPEAK UP!”
Kanye West shocked fans last week when he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt during an appearance at Paris Fashion Week, drawing a backlash.
He later doubled down on his views as part of an interview on Fox News and made an inflammatory comment about Lizzo’s weight.