Kanye West has revealed that he has been diagnosed with autism.
The rapper previously spoke about having bipolar disorder, but in a new interview with Justin Laboy on his podcast "The Download," West said it was a misdiagnosis.
"I went to this doctor … my wife [Bianca Censori] took me to do that because she said, 'Something about your personality doesn't feel like it's bipolar, I've seen bipolar before.' And I've come to find that it's really a case of autism that I have," he said, according to The Guardian.
West explained that his diagnosis provided insight into certain past behaviors, including a moment in 2018 when he was seen wearing a Make America Great Again hat and declaring his support for President Donald Trump, stating, "The mob can't make me not love him."
"Autism takes you to a 'Rain Man' thing," West said. "I'ma wear this Trump hat because I like Trump in general. And then when people tell you to not do it, you just get on that one point. And that's my problem."
"When fans tell me to do my album a certain way, I'll do it the opposite way," he added before noting the toll it had taken on his friend and former manager Don C.
"It's been so hard on him because he loves me. It's so difficult for them, 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," he said.
Back in 2022, West claimed that he "may be slightly autistic" while also questioning his bipolar disorder diagnosis.
"The truth is, Jesus says love everyone, God says love everyone," he told reporters outside of the Cornerstone Christian Church in Los Angeles at the time, according to BET.com. "For me, I believe that in no way I am not bipolar, I am not in some kind of episode, but I may be slightly autistic — like 'Rain Man' — and that's part of my superpower!
"That's the reason why I can produce tracks and design and do so many things. But what I can't do … there's two things that I can't do: I can't accept hate, and I can't hate."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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