Report: Kanye Broke Down After Anniversary of Mom's Death
Kanye West is still in a hospital receiving psychiatric care after an apparent breakdown. Was it the anniversary of his mother's death that pushed him over the edge?
Royalist Correspondent
Updated Apr. 13, 2017 2:17PM ET / Published Nov. 30, 2016 5:58AM ET
PATRICK KOVARIK
Kanye West is still in a Los Angeles hospital receiving psychiatric care, having been admitted in dramatic circumstances just over a week ago—and new reports say his breakdown may have been triggered by the anniversary of the death of his mother, Donda.
Sources described as being "very close to Kanye" told website TMZ that "the trigger for the breakdown was Donda's passing back in November 2007."
The website says Kanye "never effectively grieved" his mother and "has always had a difficult time in November."
This year, of course, there were additional pressures, both in the form of a relentless touring schedule—West played 40 dates in 86 days—and the trauma and anxiety caused by wife Kim's Paris robbery.
An unnamed source, meanwhile, told People magazine this week that West generally has "big ups and downs, but this bout seems to be much more serious. In the hospital he has been very paranoid and is under constant watch for his safety."
The anonymous source said the 39-year-old rapper is still under observation because "clearly he's not doing well."
The hospitalization came after a bizarre series of incidents involving the hip-hop superstar, including rants endorsing President-elect Donald Trump and implying that Beyoncé and Jay Z had the means—if not neccesarily the will—to have him killed.
During one recent show, West announced to a shocked crowd that he "would have voted for Trump—if I voted," before declaring, "This world is racist, OK? Let's stop being distracted to focus on that as much. It's a fucking fact. We are in a racist country."
Kanye's medical diagnosis may have a silver lining in that it may allow West to collect tens of millions in insurance money, reports TMZ.
"Kanye had an insurance policy that covered him in the event illness prevented him from performing. The policy provides the insurance carrier will pay Kanye 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),'" wrote the gossip site.
Earlier this year, West claimed to be $53 million in debt.