Kim Kardashian asks for 'compassion and empathy' for Kanye West

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend the WSJ Magazine 2019 Innovator Awards at MOMA on November 6, 2019 in New York City
(Image credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian West is speaking out about Kanye West's struggle with bipolar disorder — and asking for some empathy.

Kardashian West's husband has sparked growing concern among fans in recent days with a bizarre political rally and a series of strange tweets. TMZ previously reported that West, who earlier this month announced he intended to enter the 2020 presidential race, is "in the throes of a serious bipolar episode" and that his family is worried.

"As many of you know, Kanye has bipolar disorder," Kardashian West wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. "Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up

Kardashian West, who said she felt compelled to speak out due to the "misconceptions" surrounding mental health issues, wrote that "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." She also called her husband a "brilliant but complicated person" who has to deal with "pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bipolar disorder," concluding by asking the media and the public to "give us the compassion and empathy that is needed so that we can get through this."

Kanye West earlier this week had tweeted that "Kim was trying to fly to Wyoming with a doctor to lock me up like on the movie Get Out," and on Tuesday night, he wrote that he has been "trying to get divorced" and referred to Kris Jenner as "Kris Jong-Un." He has since deleted the tweets.

Explore More
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.