US rapper Kanye West has reportedly been hospitalised, a day after he abruptly cancelled his Saint Pablo tour.
He is now said to be under observation after the emergency services were called to a Los Angeles address on Monday afternoon.
A spokesman for the LA Fire Department confirmed they had received a request for medical aid at 1:20pm (9:20pm GMT) and that an unnamed man had been taken to hospital for "further assessment".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
US media offers conflicting reports of the exact nature of the incident. The Los Angeles Times quotes a fire department source as saying police officers passed them the case as a "medical emergency".
However, NBC reports police hospitalised West for his own safety after responding to a "medical welfare call", adding: "No criminal activity was involved."
On Sunday, concert promoter Live Nation said the rapper would not play the 19 remaining dates on his Saint Pablo tour.
West's increasingly outlandish behaviour in recent days has caused fans and music critics alike to voice concerns about his emotional wellbeing.
On Thursday, he was booed by a concert audience in San Jose, California, after arriving on stage 90 minutes late and restarting his opening song several times before "praising President-elect Donald Trump," says the Los Angeles Times.
Two days later, performing in Sacramento, West launched into a meandering diatribe in which he lashed out at long-time friends Beyonce and Jay Z, as well as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and mainstream radio.
"Jay Z, call me, you still aint called me," he said. "Jay Z, I know you got killers. Please don't send them at my head."
He then left the stage after performing only three songs.
West is no stranger to controversy, from accusing then president George W. Bush of "hating black people" after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005 to his ongoing argument with Taylor Swift. However, the Daily Telegraph calls this the rapper's "worst week ever".
In October, West's wife, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, was robbed in a hotel in Paris while he was performing in the US York. She was expected to attend a social event in New York yesterday but did not attend, says the BBC.
-
5 hilariously cold cartoons about the Alaska summitCartoons Artists take on the Alaskan totem pole, a peace flag, and more
-
Journalists killed in Gaza: a chilling assaultIn the Spotlight Anas al-Sharif and three of his Al Jazeera colleagues were targeted by the IDF
-
Crossword: August 16, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Is Ye finally about to be canceled for good?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION From doubling down on overt antisemitism and Nazi admiration to a series of alarming public appearances, the rap superstar and fashion mogul might have finally gone too far
-
Do salmon sperm facials work?In the Spotlight The peculiar-sounding beauty treatment claims to have anti-ageing benefits, and has attracted celebrity devotees including Kim Kardashian
-
Kim Kardashian's Met Gala corset: designed for drama but a step too far?In the Spotlight Reality TV star shocks with 'impossibly tiny waist' at this year's fashion event, echoing controversies from previous outfits
-
Kanye West referenced in at least 30 antisemitic incidents since October, Anti-Defamation League saysSpeed Read
-
Adidas could lose over $1 billion after terminating Kanye West partnershipSpeed Read
-
Kanye West may be denied entry to Australia over antisemitic remarksSpeed Read
-
Kanye West reportedly had 'some sort of wedding ceremony'Speed Read
-
Kanye West reportedly nowhere to be found as ex-business manager tries to serve himSpeed Read
