Following his controversial Forbes interview and the announcement of a presidential bid, reports are surfacing that Kanye West is in the midst of a bipolar episode.
According to TMZ, sources say West's loved ones are worried this episode influenced him to say some of what he did in the Forbes story, which included concerning anti-vaxxer and anti-choice commentary. Insiders say Kanye goes through a serious episode like this every year.
Over July 4th weekend, 'Ye took to Twitter to announce he’s running for president. His long interview with Forbes arrived on Wednesday and was met with much criticism.
TMZ says that while West's family is worried, they believe his mental state will return to steadier footing as it has in the past. His various declarations are making the situation more complicated, but regardless of the reasons why he announced his presidential bid, he’s garnered the approval of Elon Musk.
Many others remain unconvinced, and the Forbes interview only furthered their doubt, particularly as Kanye washed his hands of Trump, blasted Biden, announced his party name as the “Birthday Party,” said Planned Parenthood is doing the “devil’s work,” claimed he had COVID-19, and more. His mental health was never a subject of conversation.
There is much stigma and many myths surrounding bipolar disorder. According to Sane.org, the condition can include a number of mood disturbances, including mania, hypomania, and depression. The site writes, “When any of these symptoms are present for a specific period of time, they are termed an episode. A person with bipolar disorder can experience one, or a combination of these mood symptoms during an episode.”
“The highs and lows in bipolar disorder are extreme, often occur out of context, can last for several days, weeks or months,” the site adds, “During a manic episode, people can sometimes take big risks or do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do which might have damaging effects on their career, finances, reputation, or relationships.”
West's 2018 record Ye notably featured cover art reading, "I hate being Bi-Polar its awesome." The album cycle led to a handful of open conversations on the topic.
