During a recent appearance on The Zane Lowe Show, Jonah Hill said it was “weird” that Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, posted on Instagram in 2023 that he was “loving Jews again” thanks to Hill’s performance in the 2012 comedy 21 Jump Street.
“I felt like he did this weird public act to kind of make amends, like, ‘I love Jonah, so it’s okay,'” Hill said. “(It was) just going through it with me like it’s going to be okay. I still love him and I hope that whatever happens, he heals. And I hope that everyone can recover from all of that.”
Earlier in the interview, Hill praised Ye as “the greatest artist of all time,” while also acknowledging the influence of Ye’s anti-Semitic comments.
“I don’t think there’s any artist in any genre that I love more. He’s probably the greatest artist that ever lived,” Hill said. “He’s a genius. Hate stuff is the worst. What are you going to say? That’s the worst thing anyone can hear. Now, do you know what’s going on? No. Am I going to punch someone while they’re down? No, of course not,” he later added.
Mr. Ye has a long history of anti-Semitic comments. In late 2022, Ye caused controversy when he appeared on Alex Jones’ “InfoWars” and wrote on social media that he was planning a “Death Con 3” against Jews. However, in March 2023, Ye posted a poster for 21 Jump Street on Instagram and wrote, “Watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street made me love Jews again. No one should take their anger at one or two people and turn it into hatred against millions of innocent people.”
Mr. Ye’s recent anti-Semitic crimes include selling swastika T-shirts on his website and releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler.” But in late January, he took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for his history of hate speech. “I regret and deeply regret my actions in that state,” he wrote in the ad. “I am committed to accountability, healing, and meaningful change. But that does not excuse my actions. I am not a Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love Jews.”
