Kim Kardashian West has publicly addressed her husband Kanye West’s mental health issues after his first campaign rally and series of Twitter messages sparked concern among fans and followers.
"As many of you know, Kanye has bipolar 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,” she says in a statement posted to her Instagram stories yesterday.
“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.”
"Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behaviour know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor.”
"People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgemental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try."
In her message, Kim, who has been married to Kanye for six years and shares four children with, asked for empathy and understanding, saying the rapper was “subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions.”
"He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures 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 bipolar disorder," she added.
She continued, saying, “"Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions.”
"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 added, asking the public and media to give the family compassion and empathy so they can “get through this.”