Lil Nas X Reports Improvement Following Rehab and Bipolar Diagnosis
The pop artist Lil Nas X has revealed that he is "doing much better" and experiences "less fear in my heart" after a mental health crisis that led to his arrest in August of last year.
In a heartfelt video statement lasting three minutes, the musician disclosed that he had "been in rehab for a few months" before returning to his family in Atlanta.
This marks his first significant update since the incident last summer, when he was charged with assaulting Los Angeles police officers after being found walking the streets wearing only his underwear. He entered a plea of not guilty.
In April, a judge permitted the 27-year-old, born Montero Hill, to participate in a mental health program that is expected to result in the dismissal of the charges.
'I'm doing much better'
The Grammy Award-winning artist qualified for the program following a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The judge noted that Hill's behaviour during the arrest was "aberrant from his normal conduct."
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterized by alternating episodes of intense emotional highs and deep emotional lows.
Speaking on Instagram, Hill admitted that his diagnosis had been overdue.
"I feel like I had known for like the past few years, but I didn't want to admit to it because I didn't want to have to take medication and, I don't know, have people think different of me,"
The musician explained that he had previously felt his life already presented enough challenges without adding a mental health condition.
"I mean, I'm already black and gay, like, damn, God," he joked. "Gay, bipolar, like I'm living life on extreme hard mode.
"But on a serious note, I'm doing much better, I'm feeling better, I'm creating freely, and there's less fear in my heart. I'm just smelling the roses."
In the video, Hill appeared healthy and spoke to the camera against a clear blue sky. He read from prepared notes and acknowledged feeling "awkward" and nervous to speak after a long absence from social media.
The Atlanta-born artist is best known for his breakthrough hit "Old Town Road," a blend of country and rap that spent a record 19 weeks at number one on the US charts and earned him two Grammy Awards.
He followed this with a series of genre-defying singles such as "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" and "Industry Baby," which established him as both a queer icon and a savvy user of TikTok's algorithm.
In 2023, Elton John personally selected Lil Nas X to perform before him on Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage.
Near the end of his video, Hill stated he was not yet ready to return fully to the spotlight but assured fans that "new music [is] on the way."
"I've been doing music for seven years now," Lil Nas X said as he shifted tone near the conclusion of the clip. "I wanted to let you guys know there is new music on the way."
He concluded by addressing his supporters directly.
"We've been through so much together. Thank you guys for holding me down.
"I love you and all I want to do is continue to try to make you proud and make myself proud."
If you are affected by the issues discussed in this story, support resources are available via BBC Action Line.
