15 Things You Didn't Know About Kanye's Breakdown
On November 22nd, Kanye West was rushed to the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center, which was reportedly described by the paramedics as a “psychiatric emergency.” Police were called to the home of his personal trainer, Harley Pasternak, as he was “acting erratically” and Pasternak feared for his personal safety.
The 39-year-old rapper, who is the husband of Kim Kardashian whom he was two children with; 3-year-old North and 11-month-old Saint, was handcuffed in the back of an ambulance and rushed to the medical center in Los Angeles.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department said: “At 1.20pm, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to an unspecified medical aid request in the 900 block of North Laurel Avenue.” They added: “An adult male described as medically stable was taken to an area hospital for assessment.”
People magazine reported that he was being treated for “sleep deprivation and exhaustion” whereas other sources claimed he was being treated for “psychosis.” Although he is not the first star to suffer a breakdown, when you're one of the most talked about celebrities in the world, it's hard for a very public mental health scare not to make the headlines worldwide.
So far, this is everything you might not know about Kanye's breakdown.
15 He Had Cancelled His World Tour Just Six Hours Earlier
Just six hours before his breakdown, Kanye had cancelled the remaining 20 dates for his Saint Pablo Tour. Live Nation issued the following statement to fans: “The remaining dates on the Saint Pablo Tour have been cancelled. Tickets will be fully refunded at point of purchase.” The tour was scheduled to run until 2017, had grossed more than $31 million and 350,00 fans had been in attendance.
Fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment in the shock announcement. One tweeted: “I mean, I can't be that surprised or disappointed. This is the authentic Kanye West experience after all.” Another wrote: “When you had front row tickets and he just cancels the tour.” The tours Wikipedia page reads beside the remaining dates: “Cancelled due to stress and exhaustion.”
14 Cancelling The Tour Lands Him A Huge Payout
TMZ revealed that Kanye West receives a huge insurance payout (to the tune of $30 million to be exact) if his tour is cancelled due to health reasons. They reported the insurance policy states: "The policy provides the insurance carrier will pay Kanye West for not only the money he'd make but the money he was obligated to pay others if: "'accident or illness' prevents any Insured Person from appearing or continuing to appear in any or all of the Insured Performance(s) or Event(s).'"
The Famous rapper publicly declared his money problems earlier this year claiming that he was in $53 million worth of debt. He even reached out to Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg to help bail him out - although he did not receive a reply from the self-made billionaire.
13 He Attempted To Hurt Gym Staff Before His Arrest
TMZ also reported that immediately before his breakdown, Kanye had attempted to assault members of staff at the gym where he trains. They claimed that Kanye's physician, Dr. Michael Farzam, who made the initial call to the police had identified him as" "Jim Jones, 39 years old, 5'8", 175 lbs" and that he had tried to assault a staffer at the gym.
Entertainment Tonight also reported that Harley Pasternak (pictured above), Kanye's personal trainer who was with him at the time of the breakdown, said Kanye had been "convinced to go to the hospital for his own well-being and safety." Kanye trusts his trainer and the source added, "Harley and Kanye have been close for years."
Kanye had previously been charged with criminal battery and attempted grand theft after he chased down a photographer in 2014.
12 His Fans Have Turned Against Him
Kanye's last performance was at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, and he didn't exactly win over the crowd. During one of his signature rants, he told his fans that he didn't vote but if he did he would have voted for Donald Trump.
Following Donald Trump's election there has been a spike in hate crimes across the country, which is most likely why the audience booed his latest shock revelation. One fan tweeted from the concert: "Kanye just said he would've voted Trump. San Jose is packing its bags up." Another wrote: "And with that, Kanye is completely over, for me. I was hanging on to give him a chance. But, he's done."
Kanye had previously stated that he wished to run for President in 2020 and has been no stranger to sensationalism. However his latest comments have proven that he has gone one step too far this time.
11 He Has Been Stressed Out About The Increased Security
During Paris Fashion Week in October, Kim was robbed at gunpoint who made off with $4 million worth of jewelry. They stole a precious and sentimental engagement ring that Kanye had engraved for her along with other priceless pieces. At the time, Kim was staying in Kanye's hotel-apartment, a place he recommends for the family every time they visit the area.
Since the robbery, Kanye has upped security for his family everywhere they go, although Kanye doesn't want agents following them around everywhere they go, he knows this helps his anxious wife feel safe and has been patient. People magazine reported, "All those things contribute to his stress level, exhaustion and lack of sleep."
Kanye couldn't even have his breakdown in peace as security agents ran to the hospital as soon as they heard he had been admitted.
10 His Fallout With Jay-Z Probably Triggered His Breakdown
Kanye and Jay-Z have always been close. When Kanye's career first started, Jay-Z mentored him for success and even revealed that he thought the rapper was a "genius." In 2001, they recorded an album Watch The Throne together and have performed by each other's side around the world.
However, this month things went sour between them both as Kanye ranted that Jay-Z never called him following Kim's robbery. He told the crowds at Key Arena in Seattle, "'Don't call me, after the robbery, and say "how you feelin?" You wanna know how I'm feelin? Come by the house." He also revealed that their daughters North and Blue Ivy have never played together.
It's not clear whether Jay-Z will be in touch with Kanye following this latest breakdown, or if all his latest rants on stage have placed far too much water under the bridge.
9 He Was Distraught Beyonce Stole The Limelight From Him
Kanye's Famous video was one of the most controversial from the singer. He mentions Taylor Swift and claimed that he "made that b***h famous." Swift denied she ever gave Kanye permission to use her name in his song and labelled him "misogynistic." Then Kim leaked a tape in which Taylor appears to approve the lyric. The video for the song features Kanye, Kim and Taylor all naked in bed together alongside other celebrity figures including George W. Bush, Donald Trump and Bill Cosby.
When it came to this year's VMAs, he really believed that it would have been worth all the drama and that he could scoop the award for "Video Of The Year." However, Beyonce stepped in and took home the award for her song Formation. During his Sacramento concert he ripped into the singer telling the crowd, "Beyoncé, I was hurt. I put my career, my life, my public well-standing at risk when I talk to y'all like this. This is a moment in the matrix, bro. The vibes is back."
8 Kim Was The Last Person To Get To The Hospital
Kim has been completely out of the public eye since her robbery in Paris. She has only been spotted away from her home on a few occasions, all of which saw her covered in an over-sized hoody as she avoided the cameras.
During her husband's breakdown she was in New York City ready to make her first appearance at the Angel Ball where her late father Robert Kardashian was being honored. When she heard the news, she cancelled last minute, boarded a flight back to Los Angeles and ran to her husband's side.
Her sister Kourtney Kardashian and mother Kris Jenner were already there to support Kanye. E! News reported: "Kim is by his side now and will stand there till everything gets better. Their time together was just about support. Kanye will be ok. He has a good set of doctors and the main thing is he wants to get through this."
7 He Feared His "Life Was In Danger"
Kanye had already been placed on suicide watch before his breakdown as he experiencing paranoid hallucinations, according to reports from Radar Online. He had reportedly had many manic episodes in the middle of the night where he would wake up screaming that his life was in danger.
During his Sacramento concert he told the crowd, "I've been sent here to give y'all my truth - even at the risk of my own life, my own success, my own career. Jay Z, call me! I know you got killers. Please don't send them at my head! Just call me! Talk to me like a man!"
The latest reports claim that he has been placed under a 5150 psychiatrist care, which according to California law occurs when a "person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is a danger to others or to himself." This level of care is often reserved for those who may have suicidal thoughts or feeling and is a very serious level of admission.
6 He Has Fallen Under The Kardashian Men Curse
The men who surround the Kardashian family don't always seem to hold up so well. After Kim married NBA star Kris Humphries, they were divorced just 72-days later and the media branded their romance a publicity stunt.
Khloe Kardashian's ex-husband Lamar Odum suffered a mental breakdown and took a near fatal overdose in a Las Vegas brothel. Then there was Scott Disick, who has three children with Kourtney Kardashian, who battled with alcohol problems throughout their relationship and spent some time in rehab.
Rob Kardashian has also suffered from depression, anxiety and an eating disorder. Proving that although the women in the family respond well to a life lived completely in the limelight, the men don't cope so well with the constant scrutiny.
5 He Has Struggled With Drug Dependency In The Past
Kanye has made several references to substance abuse throughout his career. His cocaine use was so constant that singer Kid Cudi couldn't work with him any longer. The Day and Night singer told Complex magazine, "I'll tell you the truth, (working with Kanye) it's what drove me to drugs. And I wasn't able to truly enjoy my success."
Kanye previously rapped: "What's your addiction? Is it money? Is it girls? Is it weed? I've been afflicted by not one, not two, but three." TMZ reported his drug use was so out of control that Kim wanted him to enter a rehab program although he refused.
Symptoms of cannabis psychosis include disorganized thoughts, irrational speaking, paranoia, hallucinations, and difficulties sleeping. It is usually treated through a combination of psychosocial interventions, such as counseling, and antipsychotic medication.
4 His Schedule Has Been Overwhelming
A source told Entertainment Tonight, "There have been signs recently of him just overwhelmed. He has a lot going on: multiple fashion lines, the tour, his business, being a father." Following Kim's robbery, Kanye has had to juggle the tour life alongside being a full-time father to two small children. This week has allegedly been his breaking point.
According to the same source, all Kanye needs is some rest and time to put his feet up. They continued, "Before Paris, there were a lot of things Kanye committed to work-wise that he couldn't cancel. All he wanted to do was stay home with Kim and the kids, and he couldn't. He barely canceled anything, not realizing his family really needed him. He realized he couldn't do it all and just broke. He's in a bad place."
3 His Fellow Celebs Have Not Been Kind About The Breakdown
Queen of being outspoken, Wendy Williams, did not hold back when she heard about Kanye's breakdown. On her chat show The Wendy Williams Show, she blamed the Ultralight Beam singer for not taking it easy after Paris, telling the audience, "We don't all necessarily agree with how they make their money which is why I'm saying Kanye should have taken time off after Kim's robbery." She added, "I feel bad for the innocence of North and Saint."
Rapper Drake also fired some shade Kanye's way on Instagram when he commented on DJ Khaled's post: "Some bwoy need fi make some hit song and stop cry." Translation: Drake knows a guy who needs to stop talking, start making music, and stop crying." Ouch.
2 There Have Been Some Crazy Conspiracy Theories Online
Whenever there is big news, there will always be some form of a conspiracy theory attached to it. One Reddit user posted that Kanye was being held against his will at the UCLA Medical Center so he could undergo " celebrity reprogramming." They detailed that the UCLA is the same hospital Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Amanda Bynes.
During his concert he ranted, "A lot of people here tonight felt like they lost. You know why? Because y'all been lied to. Google lied to you. Facebook lied to you. Radio lied to you." Many took this as a rant against the Illuminati, also known as the New World Order, a super-secret society that floods governments, finance, science, business, and the entertainment industry with one goal in mind: world domination.
We told you it was crazy.
1 He Still Struggles To Cope With The Death Of His Mother
November is a tough month for Kanye as his mother, Donda West, passed away due to surgery complications, on November 10th, 2007. Kanye was close to his mother and she was the inspiration behind his tracks Hey Mama and Only One.
Beverly Hills surgeon Andre Aboolian told CNN he had previously refused to operate on Kanye's mother. He revealed, "I always insist on a medical clearance for women over 40, and in this instance it was particularly important because of a condition she had that I felt could have led to a heart attack."
The subject of his mother's death is not one he feels comfortable talking about. Although the actual cause of her death is unclear, he told Q magazine, "If I had never moved to L.A. she'd be alive. I don't want to go far into it because it will bring me to tears."
It was perhaps the anniversary of his mother's death, his wife's robbery and the long days away from his children on tour that has resulted in the inevitable breakdown of Kanye West.