Kanye West has made headlines in the last few weeks after announcing his bid for president and a series of erratic tweets. Many believe these instances are related to a bipolar episode. His wife, Kim Kardashian West, has been criticized for the way she handles her husbands episodes. Her silence is often taken as acceptance of his behavior, which is an unfair opinion. The entire family is under a lot of stress, trying to figure out how best to support West and give him the help he needs.
Does Kim support Kanye’s presidential run?
West announced on the Fourth of July that he was running for president. The news was met with mixed reactions, Marie Claire reports. He had support from some fellow celebrities, like Elon Musk. Others think West is simply trying to help Trump by splitting votes from Biden. The majority of people, however, think the whole thing is just another one of his ravings.
Many people have been incredibly vocal with their opinions on West’s presidential run. One very important person in his life, however, has remained fairly quiet. West could really use the support of his uber-successful wife. According to Glamour, Kardashian West has 65.5 million followers on Twitter and 178 million Instagram followers. That’s the kind of support that could sway an election.
A few hours after West announced his intention to run for office, his wife retweeted the announcement with an American flag icon. Sources close to the couple state that Kardashian West did support her husband at first, but became concerned after his Forbes interview.
The four-hour Forbes interview has gathered 3.1 million hits so far, due to West’s myriad of bizarre comments. In case you didn’t catch the interview, we’ll go over a few highlights. West says he’d create a new political party and call it the “Birthday Party.” He refers to a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine as the “mark of the beast.” He also plans to turn the White House into a high-tech Wakandan fortress, much like T’Challa’s home in Black Panther.
After seeing West’s manic state-of-mind during the interview, West’s family worries that the stress of a presidential campaign won’t be good for his mental health. They want to support his dreams, but they don’t support many of the ideas he stated during his interview.
Why has Kim been so silent about Kanye’s outbursts?
West lives with a form of bipolar disorder, which can cause manic episodes, according to Mayo Clinic. These manic episodes are characterized by a grandiose sense of self, increased energy, poor decision making, impulsive behaviors, racing thoughts, and more, depending on each person and what form of bipolar disorder they manage, and what other conditions they may have. When a manic episode ends, it can be followed by periods of extreme depression.
Kardashian West is doing her best to assist with her husband’s management of his bipolar disorder. She knows he needs help, but he doesn’t want to take medication to treat his illness because he believes it changes his personality. It is a daunting task to care for someone on a daily basis who lives with bipolar disorder. She is juggling her husband’s manic episodes, caring for four children, and running successful businesses.
The media has been quick to judge Kardashian West, asking why she defends her husband’s erratic behavior, or why she won’t “stop” it. Many Reddit users, however, firmly believe that the media has been unfair to the reality star. Kardashian West’s fans sympathize with her and understand that no one knows what it is like to be in her shoes. One user states “How Kim handles it is none of their business,” which is exactly true. She doesn’t owe anyone an explanation about her family’s private life.
‘Forbes’ coverage of Kanye was unfair and misleading
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According to Meg Kissinger via USA Today, a professor at the Columbia University School of Journalism, “It was the journalistic duty of the Forbes writer to mention West’s mental illness.” Kanye’s manic episodes have created a negative public image that will be hard to turn around. The constant media coverage is incredibly stressful for his family, especially his wife.
If reporters are going to hold interviews with celebrities while they are in the middle of a mental struggle, they need to disclose that information. Otherwise, the audience is not able to form their own educated opinions, they are simply being manipulated by the media.
The media has a duty to provide context to their audience, and critics attacking his wife, who is trying to be supportive while figuring out how to help her husband, is also unfair. She doesn’t owe anyone an explanation, and people should try to show some compassion for the couple’s struggle.