In a candid new interview, Kanye West, the renowned US rapper and fashion mogul, has shared that he has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurological condition that affects communication, social interactions, and behavior. The revelation comes after a period of self-reflection, with West admitting that his previous bipolar disorder diagnosis was inaccurate.
During a conversation on The Download, West discussed how his wife, Bianca, encouraged him to seek a reevaluation of his mental health. She suspected something was amiss, explaining that his personality didn’t align with a typical bipolar diagnosis. Her insights led West to discover that the behaviors he had been struggling with were actually tied to autism, not bipolar disorder.
“I went to this doctor, my wife took me to do that because she said, ‘Something about your personality does not feel like it is bipolar, I have seen bipolar before’, and I have come to find that it is really a case of autism that I have,” West said.
This new understanding of his condition, according to West, has provided him with much-needed clarity, particularly when it comes to his fixations on certain topics and creative projects. He revealed that when fans or critics suggest changes to his music or projects, he often doubles down and does the opposite, a characteristic linked to autism’s tendency to hyperfocus on specific interests.
“I’ll do it the opposite way,” West confessed. “Autism takes you to a ‘Rain Man’ thing. When people tell you to not do it, you just get on that one point. And that is my problem.”
For those closest to West, such as his wife Bianca and former spouse Kim Kardashian, understanding his behavior has been a challenge. In the past, his unpredictable actions, including controversial social media posts and outbursts, led many to believe he was struggling with bipolar disorder, especially when paired with his admitted bouts of psychosis. West has often been seen as a free spirit, unafraid to speak his mind, but his tendency to reject control – whether it’s managing his bank account or dictating his social media presence – has been a source of friction.
He opened up about how the feeling of being constantly controlled triggered his infamous public breakdowns, explaining that he felt out of control when others tried to impose limits on his actions. “It’s so difficult for people around me because this is like a grown man. You can’t take control of his bank account, you can’t control what I’m saying on Twitter… a lot of what was sending me into the episodes and it is hard,” West said, acknowledging that this pressure contributed to his emotional turmoil.
Despite his new diagnosis, West also revealed that he has chosen not to take medication, believing that it could stifle his creativity. “I have not taken the medication since I found out that bipolar was not the right diagnosis,” he explained. “It’s finding stuff that doesn’t block the creativity, obviously that’s what I bring to the world.”
West’s struggles with mental health have been well-documented in the public eye. Back in 2019, he openly discussed his battles with bipolar disorder, mentioning episodes of psychosis that affected his behavior. His erratic social media activity, particularly during the 2020 presidential campaign, became a point of concern for many, including his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. At the time, she publicly defended him, attributing his outbursts and impulsive behavior to his bipolar disorder diagnosis.
