Kim Kardashian West has broken her silence after husband Kanye West posted a series of troubling tweets over the past few days.
Kardashian released a lengthy statement on social media Wednesday morning asking for “compassion” for her husband, who has been open about his bipolar disorder.
The statement came after the rapper tweeted allegations that Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, had tried to “lock me up.”
“As many of you know, Kanye has bipolar disorder,” Kardashian wrote on her Instagram story. “Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand. I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.”
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She continued by saying family members are “powerless” to help adults struggling with mental health issues.
“Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor,” she said. “People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.”
We spoke with Dr. Rahn Kennedy Bailey, a psychiatrist in Los Angeles, who serves as assistant dean of clinical education at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. While Bailey hasn’t treated Kanye West, he has diagnosed many other patients with bipolar disorder.
“Bipolar disorder is a mood or an emotional disorder along the same line of clinical depression,” Bailey explained. “They flip very often to being depressed, sad and clinically dysphoric, crying spells and sadness and insomnia where they can’t sleep well, and very often a rapid fluctuation of change in mood creates the problem.”
Kim Kardashian said her husband’s fame has made the situation more challenging.
“I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at time can cause strong opinions and emotions,” she continued. “He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bi-polar disorder. Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions.”
She then called for “empathy” as the family deals with the situation.
“We as a society talk about giving grace to the issue of mental health as a whole, however we should also give it to the individuals who are living with it in times when they need it the most,” she wrote. “I kindly ask that the media and public give us the compassion and empathy that is needed so that we can get through this. Thank you for those who have expressed concern for Kanye’s well-being and for your understanding.”
Kardashian’s full statement was captured by TMZ and can be read here.
In a series of tweets Wednesday morning, West talked about his relationship with his wife.
“I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Warldolf [sic] for ‘prison reform,'” West wrote in a since-deleted post. He was apparently referring to a Nov. 2018 criminal justice summit attended by Kardashian and rapper Meek Mill at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
“Meek is my man and was respectful. That’s my dog,” West added. “Kim was out of line.”
Meanwhile, at a weekend political rally, West began to scream through tears after revealing that he wanted Kardashian to abort their first child.
West and Kardashian have been married since 2014 and have four children together.
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