Kanye West made a surprising revelation when he appeared on the Download podcast with Justin Laboy. The rapper, long believed to have bipolar disorder, stated that he has been misdiagnosed and is actually autistic.
West credited his wife, Bianca Censori, for helping him reach this conclusion. He explained that she encouraged him to see a specialist after noticing patterns in his behavior that didn’t align with bipolar disorder. “She said, ‘Something about your personality doesn’t feel like it’s bipolar,’” West recalled. “And come to find out, it’s really a case of autism.”
The Vultures artist went on to describe how his autism manifests in his decision-making. He compared his thought process to that of the character Raymond from Rain Man, saying that when people tell him not to do something, he feels compelled to do the opposite. “Oh man, I’ma wear this Trump hat. And then when people tell you not to do it, you just get on that one point. And that’s my problem,” he explained.
West believes this mindset extends to his approach to music, refusing to cater to expectations and instead taking an unconventional route. His recent controversial use of AI technology follows the same rebellious pattern. He likened it to how he pioneered the use of Auto-Tune in the 2000s, despite industry pushback.
This revelation sheds new light on West’s past statements about mental health. His 2018 album Ye famously referenced his bipolar diagnosis on its cover with the phrase, “I hate being bipolar. It’s awesome.” In a 2019 interview with David Letterman, he spoke candidly about the stigma surrounding the disorder. However, this isn’t the first time West has alluded to having autism. In 2023, leaked text messages between him and Elon Musk revealed a similar claim: “I’m not bipolar. I have signs of autism from my car accident.”
West’s disclosure will likely spark further discussion about his mental health and how it has influenced both his personal life and career.