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John Legend has offered a candid and heartfelt reflection on his once-close friendship with Kanye West—now known as Ye—shedding light on the turning point that eventually led to their fallout. In a recent interview with The Times (published May 10), the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter spoke about the evolution of their relationship and the moment he sensed a deep change in West.
According to Legend, the shift began after the tragic passing of Kanye’s mother, Donda West, in 2007. “I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyze him, but after his mother passed… there was definitely a difference,” Legend shared. “His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”
Though they had a long-standing professional and personal connection—Legend was signed to Ye’s G.O.O.D. Music label in 2004—the friendship came to an end in 2022, largely due to political tensions. West’s outspoken support for Donald Trump and increasingly erratic behavior online became too much for Legend to reconcile with. “It became too much for us to sustain,” he said, adding that West’s descent into antisemitic and anti-Black rhetoric was particularly painful to witness. “It is sad to see his devolution.”
Legend expressed a deep sense of loss over who Kanye used to be: a creative visionary with big dreams not only for himself but for the people around him. “He had so much optimism and creativity back then,” Legend recalled, noting that the current version of West feels unfamiliar to him now.
Ye has remained in the headlines in recent years for his inflammatory statements and erratic conduct, including public rants and troubling comments targeting various communities—as well as ex-wife Kim Kardashian. Legend, meanwhile, has continued to be outspoken in his beliefs. He recently came under fire from MAGA supporters after a past video resurfaced of him calling Donald Trump a “white supremacist.” Critics labeled him “racist” and “hypocritical,” but Legend hasn’t backed down from his statements.
Most recently, Kanye hinted at separation from his wife, Bianca Censori, in a track titled “BIANCA” from his new album WW3, adding further layers to his ongoing public unraveling.
Legend’s interview paints a picture not just of a fractured friendship, but of the heartbreak that comes when someone you once admired profoundly loses their way.