Ye Says He Has Autism Rather Than Bipolar Disorder

New York Times

06-02-2025

Less than a week after his controversial appearance on the Grammy Awards red carpet, in which his wife stripped down to an entirely sheer dress, Ye, the rapper and designer formerly known as Kanye West, announced in a podcast interview that he had been diagnosed with autism.
Over the past few years, Ye has frequently mentioned a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which he alluded to on the cover of his album 'ye' in 2018, with scrawled green text that read 'I hate being Bi-Polar its awesome.'
On the track 'Yikes,' Ye said being bipolar was not a disability but rather a superpower. That same year, in an interview with The New York Times, he said he had been 'learning how to not be on meds.'
But on an episode of 'The Download,' hosted by Justin Laboy, a former professional basketball player turned internet personality, Ye discussed his mental health and said he had been misdiagnosed. In the interview, which was released on Wednesday, he said that his wife, Bianca Censori, had challenged him to get a second opinion, and that he sought out a doctor who he said had previously worked with the singer Justin Bieber.
'Come to find out it's really a case of autism that I have,' Ye said.
'Autism takes you to a 'Rain Man' thing where you're like, I'm gonna wear this Trump hat because I just like Trump in general, and then when people tell you to not do it you just get on that one point,' he added, making reference to the 1988 film starring Dustin Hoffman as a man with autism.
Messages to a representative for Ye seeking further clarity on the diagnosis were not immediately returned.
In 2020, Kim Kardashian, who was then married to Ye, defended the rapper in an Instagram post after a series of erratic social media posts. In it, she attributed at least some of his actions to his diagnosis of bipolar disorder, while also mentioning his compulsive behavior.
Two years later, Ye made a series of antisemitic and offensive comments that resulted in Adidas ending its longtime relationship with him and the Creative Artists Agency dropping him as a client.
On social media, the reactions to this week's podcast interview, in which Ye also discussed his upcoming album, 'Bully,' and the ongoing feud between the rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake, were mixed.
In comments on the podcast's Instagram account, some users praised Ye for his openness and chattered excitedly about the new album, which he said will be released later this year. Others continued to criticize him for the barely there dress he designed for Ms. Censori to wear at the Grammys.
On the social media platform X, other users voiced concern for Mr. West's mental health, with many noting that diagnoses of autism and bipolar disorder do not have to be mutually exclusive.