Halsey is asking fans not to make light of Kanye West’s reported mental health struggles.
West made a series of since-deleted allegations on Twitter last night (July 20), including claims that his wife, Kim Kardashian, and mother-in-law, Kris Jenner, attempted to get him committed after he publicly revealed Kim had considered aborting their eldest daughter, North West.
Ye’s rant was met with mixed reactions — some users expressed concerns over the entertainer’s apparent “manic episode,” while others used West’s tweets fodder for memes.
Among the “Stronger” emcee’s supporters was Halsey, who offered kindness and understanding instead of making fun of what she believed to be a “manic episode.” “No jokes right now. I have dedicated my career to offering education and insight about bipolar disorder and I’m so disturbed by what I’m seeing,” Halsey tweeted. “Personal opinions about someone aside, a manic episode isnt a joke. If you can’t offer understanding or sympathy, offer your silence.”
As someone who, like West, also struggles bipolar disorder, Halsey denounced the “offensive remarks” people were making at the rapper’s expense, and warned that doing so only perpetuates a dangerous stigma.
“A lot of people you know probably have bipolar disorder and you aren’t aware of it. Taking this opportunity to make offensive remarks and villify people with mental illnesses is really not the way to go…this is the exact triggering s—t that causes people to keep quiet about it,” she continued. “You can hate someone’s actions or opinions without contributing to stigma that damages an entire community of sometimes vulnerable people all for a couple of laughs.”
Halsey concluded: “If you wanna think someone is an asshole, go ahead. Lots of people with mental illnesses are great. Lots of them are a—holes. Because they are people. With nuanced personalities. But making jokes specifically targeted towards bipolar hurts more than the 1 person ur angry with. Sincerely, Human Being with a Decade Long Bipolar Diagnosis.”
Read Halsey’s tweets below.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-NAMI or text “NAMI” to 741741.
