LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: After nearly eight months, rapper Kanye West has made a comeback to Twitter. His account was previously removed by owner Elon Musk, but his account has been reinstated with the social media platform's rebranding to X.
"We’ve officially unbanned Mr. Kanye West. You’re welcome," tweeted Musk on Saturday, July 29. However, on the new platform, West won't have the option to monetize his account, and his posts won't be accompanied by advertisements. West has yet to make any posts on his Twitter account since the return. His profile still bears a gold check mark, typically reserved for "official business accounts."
Why was Kanye West suspended from Twitter?
West's Twitter account was suspended in December 2022, following a series of controversial posts, one of which included a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David, leading to accusations of anti-Semitism. The suspension came just two months after he was locked out of both Instagram and Twitter for similar reasons. His last tweet was on December 1, 2022, a day before Musk suspended his account.
In the months prior to his suspension, West made multiple offensive and anti-Semitic remarks on the platform. The post that led to his suspension came after an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, during which he expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and sparked outrage by declaring his "love" of Nazis. His account was initially locked for 12 hours and later suspended by Twitter for "incitement to violence."
Musk, who acquired Twitter in October 2022, had been known for adopting a more lenient approach to content moderation. However, he drew the line with West when the rapper posted offensive content that violated the platform's rules. In a text message shared by West before the ban, Musk expressed his regrets, stating, "Sorry, but you have gone too far. This is not love." Ye responded defiantly, asking, "Who made you the judge?" Despite Musk's attempts to handle the situation, Twitter deleted West's offensive post and temporarily locked his account. As a result, both his Twitter and Instagram accounts were blocked, and his lucrative deals were affected as well.
Following West's series of reprehensible anti-Semitic remarks, his reputation suffered significant damage, leading several prominent brands like Adidas, Balenciaga, Vogue, and GAP to sever ties with him. Despite facing severe backlash, he remained unapologetic and refused to issue any apologies during multiple interviews. As a consequence of the controversy, his net worth experienced a sharp decline. Adding to the tumultuous period, his divorce from ex-wife Kim Kardashian was also finalized during the same week, compounding the challenges he faced in both his personal and professional life.
'Win for free speech'
Twitter users had mixed reactions to West's reinstatement on the platform. Some were excited, while others expressed concerns about his past controversial statements and actions. One user wrote, "But he was never banned on X. He was only banned on Twitter. Welcome to X," while another said, "Legendary move. Win for free speech." "I trust in Kanye," wrote a third, while a fourth added, "It's about damn time."
'You'll probably be sorry'
Meanwhile, one user sarcastically wrote, "Oh woopy doo…more self proclaimed messianic drivel to look forward to." another added, "I thought it was a permanent suspension." "Any chance you could just go ahead and ban him again?" asked a third, while another said, "You'll probably be sorry. Sooner rather than later."
