Kanye West says he’s sorry for his online harassment of ex-wife Kim Kardashian, but it’s been a battle establishing an equal voice as they co-parent.
The rapper/designer was interviewed for an ABC News special, A Conversation with Ye: Linsey Davis Reporting, airing on Thursday night. Good Morning America ran a preview earlier in the day and in it he talked about being kinder to Kim, revealed details about his mysterious Donda Academy and said he’ll “absolutely” run for president again.
“This is the mother of my children, and I apologize for any stress that I have caused, even in my frustration, because God calls me to be stronger,” Ye, as he goes by these days, said. “I need this person to be less stressed and of the best sound mind and as calm as possible to be able to raise those children.”
While he spoke of a “new respect” for The Kardashians star, he’s had to “fight” to have a voice in co-parenting their four children — North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm — since their February 2021 divorce filing. “I’m their dad,” he said. “It has to be co-parenting. It’s not up to only the woman. Men have a choice also. Men’s voices matter.”
He admitted it “hurts you when you have to scream about what your kids are wearing,” watching and eating. He said there’s been a “disregard” for his voice that’s left him having “to fight for a say-so.” At times, he’s used social media to express his frustration, explaining, “I have a platform where I get to say what so many dads can’t say out loud.”
One topic the exes continue to disagree about is where their children attend school — and he’s been pushing for them to attend his Donda Academy. He went on to talk about the private school, located in Simi Valley, Calif.,, of which little is know about. Originally named the Yeezy Christian Academy when it opened three years ago, the school, now named after his late mom, teaches 82 enrolled students “practical tools that they need in a world post the iPhone being created.”
“So many schools are made to set kids up for industries that don’t even matter anymore,” he said. His focuses “on practical skills,” including engineering, computer programming and farming. Tutors work with students on specific areas to “actually turn your kids into, like, geniuses. And if your kids are geniuses … they’re three grade levels ahead.”
Ye also talked about ending his partnership with Gap and his conflict with Adidas, two companies he also used social media to amplify his issues with.
“It was all kind of a disregard for the voice of something that I co-created. I co-created the product at Adidas. I co-created the product at Gap,” he said, noting he plans to open his own line of stores called YZY. “It’s time for me to make my own thing.”
While he has his hands full, it doesn’t mean he’s hung up his political aspirations — despite what happened in 2020. “That time wasn’t in God’s time,” he said of the failed campaign. But he “absolutely” plans to run for president again.
While he offered no timetable, he made it clear his faith and politics go hand in hand. He talked about being deemed “radical” for wanting to promoting “the idea of family, the idea of God, the idea of protecting your children’s innocence for as long as possible” in his platform. He added that God’s “got my back” on his mission.
The ABC News Live half-hour special will air at 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday and later for streaming on Hulu.
