Kim Kardashian West asked the media and the public to show “compassion and empathy” in response to husband Kanye West’s recent wild behavior has stoked concerns about his well-being.
Kardashian West, a reality TV star who shares four children with West, issued a statement on Wednesday to discuss the rapper’s struggle with bipolar disorder.
“I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions,” she said on Instagram. “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 bi-polar disorder.”
Kardashian West said she wanted to address her husband’s situation “because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.”
“Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor. 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 added.
West, who has roiled the political world with his stated support of President Trump, announced on July 4 that he was running for president. He appeared in South Carolina for a campaign rally over the weekend and made headlines for his comments about abolitionist Harriet Tubman and wanting his wife to get an abortion when she first got pregnant with their first child.
West has already qualified to appear on the Oklahoma ballot but failed to garner enough signatures to appear on the South Carolina ballot. He will likely also qualify to appear on the Illinois ballot.
A recent wave of erratic tweets, including a deleted missive about divorcing Kardashian West, have attracted even more media scrutiny.
Comedian Dave Chappelle and other friends flew out to West’s ranch in Wyoming on Tuesday to show support for West.
