Bipolar disorder is often described as seeing varying shifts in a person’s mood, which also affects the ability to think. These manic moods can lead to irritability, changes in ideas, and even an enormous amount of self-confidence. In 2016, Kanye West made headlines when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, leading to manic episodes and erratic actions that surprised people around the world. There have been many instances when Kanye West publicly displayed his disorder.
Kanye West has always been vocal about his ideas and thoughts; while some were appreciated, others were highly criticized everywhere. Before the diagnosis, the rapper had claimed himself to be the greatest human alive and even called himself a God on a 2013 track. Over the years, the rapper has taken great measures to give his views that have stirred the news. Let’s look at the times when Kanye West’s bipolar disorder was publicly displayed.
10 Interrupting Taylor Swift At The 2009 VMAs
Before Kanye West was diagnosed with any mental disorder, one of his most erratic public appearances occurred at the VMAs in 2009. Taylor Swift won the Video Of The Year VMA when West stormed onto the stage to say that Beyonce had one of the best music videos of all time. While featuring on Nick Cannon's podcast in 2020, West claimed that God made him say it.
9 Cancellation Of Saint Pablo Tour In 2016
Kanye West embarked on one of his most expensive tours in 2016 with the Saint Pablo World Tour, where he performed elevated from a stage. During his show in Sacramento, he performed three songs before going on a rant, speaking against Hilary Clinton, Jay-Z, and Beyonce, and criticizing Facebook. His remaining 21 dates were canceled until further notice.
8 2018 Ye Album References
In 2018, Kanye West released his highly-anticipated album Ye with several references to his bipolar disorder. While the rapper hadn’t made any public comments about it until that point, he referred to his mental disorder and called it his superpower. West also detailed that he hated it but had learned to accept it.
7 His Interview With David Letterman
The second season of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman saw multiple celebrities coming to the Netflix show to share about their lives. The first episode of the season featured a candid interview with Kanye West, where he discussed his struggles with bipolar disorder. He shared having manic episodes and how important it was to have well-timed medications.
6 2020 Bizarre Twitter Rants
West had been on Twitter rants many times, but his biggest one occurred when he claimed that his family sent over doctors for psychiatric hospitalization on his Wyoming ranch. He called his then mother-in-law Kris Jenner ‘Kris Jong-Un’ and the Kardashian-Jenner family white supremacists. Kim later apologized for his comments and asked for privacy.
5 2020 Presidential Campaign
On July 04, 2022, Kanye West shocked the world when he tweeted that he was running for the 2020 elections. The singer was previously spotted wearing a MAGA hat and meeting Donald Trump; however, he had always clearly intended to run for the Presidency. In the following days, he continued ranting about his decision before eventually withdrawing from the race.
4 He Had A Social Media Rant About His Daughter’s Birthday
Amidst Kanye West’s separation drama, West had a public rant in January 2022 when he went on Instagram Live claiming that he wasn’t invited to his daughter Chicago’s 4th birthday party. West also claimed that he wasn’t provided the venue's location even after texting Kim and other family members. The location was then shared shortly, and he attended the event.
3 His Public Proclamation For Kim Kardashian
While Kim and Kanye were separated in February 2021, she supported him at his Donda listening events and arrived in a wedding dress as a part of the performance. Despite the divorce news, he continued declaring his love for Kardashian and even said that God wanted Kimye to be together and work on the separation.
2 Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy Documentary
Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy documented the story behind the man who began his journey looking for a record label to sign him. While the first two episodes showed his rise to fame, the third installment focused on his tangents with bipolar disorder. West was seen admitting that he needed to take medication to have a normal conversation and even and even stated his thoughts about his anti-abortion statements.
1 He Made Anti-Sematic Remarks
The controversy with West’s remarks began in early October 2022 when he made anti-sematic remarks on podcasts and made a racist comment about the Black Lives Matter movement while complaining about his business. This led to him losing his tour management team, ending his contract with Adidas, and getting blocked from social media sites. In December 2022, he went on a podcast and claimed that he loved Hitler, causing outrage everywhere.
While Kanye West’s social media accounts were deactivated, Elon Musk brought him back on Twitter in mid-November 2022 after taking over Twitter. West spoke a controversial rant about antisemitism and declared his run for the 2024 Presidency with a symbol that depicted a Nazi swastika which got him suspended immediately.
Sources: NY Post, Billboard, Cosmopolitan, Variety
