Kanye West’s 2016 hospitalization was widely attributed to mental health issues induced by exhaustion; however, during a recent appearance on TMZ Live, Ye revealed he was also struggling with an opioid addiction at the time he was admitted to the UCLA Medical Center.
“I was drugged the fuck out, bro,” he told TMZ's Harvey Levin, before standing up and shouting to the news room. “[…] Hey, everyone listen to this please! Two days before I was in the hospital, I was on opioids. I was addicted to opioids. I had plastic surgery because I was trying to look good for y’all. I got liposuction because I didn’t want y’all to call me fat, like y’all called Rob [Kardashian] at the wedding, and made him fly home before me and Kim got married. I didn’t want y’all to call me fat, so I got liposuction, and they gave me opioids.”
Kanye went on to say that he was prescribed two pills a day, and continued taking them throughout the Saint Pablo Tour. Ye said he decided to quit the drugs after one of his team members expressed concern.
“When he handed [the pills] to me, he said, ‘You know, this is used to kill genius.’ Right, so I didn’t take it,” Kanye revealed. “Two days later, I’m in the hospital. I was taking two pills a day at that time. When I left the hospital, how many pills you think I was given? Seven! I went from taking two pills to seven.”
The rapper also admitted he was high during his infamous visit to Trump Tower and during a series of controversial Twitter rants. “So the reason why I dropped those tweets and everything, is because I was drugged the fuck out, bro. And I’m not drugged out [now],” he said. “These pills that they want me to take three of a day, I take one a week maybe—two a week. Y’all have me scared of myself, of my vision; so I took some pills so I wouldn’t go to hospital and prove everyone right.”
Ye also touched on the country’s ongoing opioid epidemic and the inappropriate prescribing of drugs. “We are drugged out. We are following other people’s opinions,” he said. “We are controlled by the media, and today it all changes.”
Those who have seen portions of the TMZ Live segment, know this wasn't the only shocking statement that came from Ye. He also got into a heated exchange with TMZ staffer Van Lathan, after he suggested slavery was “a choice.”
