Kanye West found himself at the center of a number of controversies several months ago. Chief among them was a stretch of time during which the entertainer shared anti-Semitic sentiments. In the time since, West has seemingly doubled on his sentiments – amid a flurry of blowback that’s cost him several business deals. However, a new message from the star seems to suggest that he’s changed his tune when it comes to his feelings towards people of the Jewish faith. West claims to have watched one of Jonah Hill’s movies and says that it “helped him like Jewish people again.”
When not calling out ex-wife Kim Kardashian on social media over their daughter’s TikTok use or declaring “civil war” on stars like Pete Davidson, Ye occasionally posts about movies. The star’s thoughts on said films are usually brief but straightforward and, sometimes, he’ll reveal the grandiose way in which he watches them. Though the latter detail wasn’t present in the 45-year-old Grammy winner’s recent Instagram post, in which he revealed that he’d checked out 2012 buddy comedy 21 Jump Street. While discussing it, he singled out co-lead Jonah Hill (who is Jewish) for apparently changing his views on Judaism:
Watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump street made me like Jewish people again … No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people … No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew Thank you Jonah Hill I love you
It’s honestly hard to say whether the businessman is being serious or satirical, and fans in the comments section have responded with a wide range of messages. Some appear to be poking fun at the musician, while others are pondering whether this could mark the start of a “redemption arc” of sorts for the 45-year-old star. There’s no telling whether such a notion might actually come to pass but, more immediately, the rapper is still stewing in the consequences brought upon by his initial comments.
Kanye West conveyed anti-Semitic messages on social media before reinforcing his ability to say them during an appearance on the Drink Champs podcast. On the show, he declared, “I can say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?” Shortly after, the German sportswear brand dropped West, saying that his “comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.” (The company has since stood by its decision though has reportedly lost over a billion dollars due to the move.) Other brands – including Vogue and Balenciaga – have also cut ties with West.
As a result of his enterprises being dissolved, Ye lost his billionaire status and, when opening up about his financial standing, he said he’d been “beat to a pulp.” He directly addressed his comments around that same time and reasoned that the backlash was actually “proving the exact point that I made.” In his eyes, many performers are being “bullied” for their beliefs, and he added that Hollywood will “try to mute you at all costs” if your opinion doesn’t line up with that of the general public.
There are plenty of Tinseltown citizens who are fans of 21 Jump Street, so that would appear to be at least one way in which Kanye West’s views line up with mainstream thought. However, it’s more than fair to assume that this apparent Jonah Hill-related epiphany on Jewish people isn’t going to immediately get him back into the good graces of the public. If there is some legitimate truth to West’s latest post, one will just have to watch to see if his actions prove to be as loud as his words moving forward.
