"Rain Man" movie poster/ Kanye West on Feb. 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
In 2016, hip-hop artist Kanye West announced that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Formerly called manic depression, bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. It can include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression), according to the Mayo Clinic.
Now the disgraced artist, who has seen his billionaire fortune crumble following the cancellation of several partnerships due to antisemitic remarks he has been making for the last several months, claims he is not bipolar. West, who changed his name to Ye, said he was misdiagnosed.
During a recent interview, he said he believes himself to be “slightly autistic” rather than bipolar. While West spoke to the paparazzi outside the Cornerstone Christian Church in Los Angeles on Dec. 11, his mental health was mentioned, Radar reported.
“In no way- I am not bipolar. I’m not in some kind of episode, but I may be slightly autistic,” West said. “Like, ‘Rain Man,’ and that’s part of my superpower.”
“Rain Man” is a 1988 American road drama film that tells the story of selfish young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise), who learns that his estranged father has died and bequeathed nearly all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman), an autistic savant, of whose existence Charlie was previously unaware.
A savant has a rare condition with various developmental disorders, including autistic disorder, accompanied by extraordinary ability and talent.
Ye didn’t claim to being an autistic savant but said he might be autistic.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People diagnosed with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests, according to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
“That’s the reason why I can produce tracks and design and do so many things, but what I can’t do…there’re two things that I can’t do: I can’t accept hate, and I can’t hate,” West continued, according to Hot New Hip Hop.
“Have you ever known an autistic person that hates you?” West asked to counter claims that he has said hateful things about Black and Jewish people.
“That’s the reason…if someone says: ‘Love this, love this, love this person. Don’t love this person,’ I don’t know how to do that,” he said.
“Rain Man” movie poster/ Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
