Kanye West issues public apology to wife Kim Kardashian after tweeting about divorce

American rapper Kanye West issued an apology to his wife Kim Kardashian on Twitter on Saturday (local time) -- the same social media platform where he announced plans to divorce her just days before.

According to Fox News, "I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter. I did not cover her like she has covered me.to Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me," the 43-year-old rapper West wrote.

Although West did not specify what "private matter" he was referring to, it's likely related to his admission during a South Carolina campaign rally last weekend that the couple considered abortion when they were expecting their first child, daughter 7-year-old North.

West told a crowd while crying, "Even if my wife wants to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world even when I didn't want to. She stood up and she protected that child. You know who else protected a child? Forty-three years ago, who do you think protected a child?"

Reports indicated earlier in the week that the 39-year-old reality TV star Kardashian was "furious" over the abortion claims. He then claimed in a now-deleted tweet that he's been "trying" to divorce Kim ever since she attended a prison reform event also attended by rapper Meek Mill.

The Yeezy founder also subtly shaded the SKIMS founder's past photoshoot with Playboy and claimed his mother-in-law Kris Jenner was no longer allowed to see the couple's four kids.

On Monday, West tweeted that Kardashian "tried to lock me up like on the movie Get Out because I cried about saving my daughter's life yesterday."

Kardashian ultimately broke her silence on the drama on Wednesday with a public statement acknowledging West's bipolar disorder.

Kardashian's statement shared to Instagram begins, "As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder. Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand."

Kardashian said she realises that her husband's words can carry particular weight and "cause strong opinions and emotions" due to his status as a public figure. However, she said she finds him to be a "brilliant and complicated" person that is simply struggling to deal with his mental illness at times.