Halsey Asks People Not to Joke About Kanye West’s Tweets

From Cosmopolitan

• Halsey has spoken out urging her followers not to joke about Kanye West’s tweets and reinforce damaging mental health stigmas.

• Kanye is reportedly “struggling again” with bipolar disorder.

Kanye West’s since-deleted tweets on Monday night have prompted concern among fans as multiple outlets report he’s struggling with his mental health. But unfortunately, the rapper’s tweets also prompted a lot of really inappropriate and insensitive jokes. Obviously, making light about someone’s mental health just isn’t funny or okay—something Halsey made clear on Twitter.

Halsey asked her followers not to joke at Kanye’s expense, urging people to have compassion and not reinforce stigmas around bipolar disorder.

“No jokes right now. I have dedicated my career to offering education and insight about bipolar disorder and I’m so disturbed by what I’m seeing,” she wrote. “Personal opinions about someone aside, a manic episode isn’t a joke. If you can’t offer understanding or sympathy, offer your silence.”

She added that vilifying Kanye will only serve to silence people struggling with bipolar disorder:

“A lot of people you know probably have bipolar disorder and you aren’t aware of it. Taking this opportunity to make offensive remarks and vilify people with mental illnesses is really not the way to go…this is the exact triggering shit that causes people to keep quiet about it,” she tweeted. “You can hate someone’s actions or opinions without contributing to stigma that damages an entire community of sometimes vulnerable people all for a couple of laughs.”

Halsey concluded with, “If you wanna think someone is an asshole, go ahead. Lots of people with mental illnesses are great. Lots of them are assholes. Because they are people. With nuanced personalities. But making jokes specifically targeted toward bipolar hurts more than the 1 person ur angry with. Sincerely, Human Being With a Decade-Long Bipolar Diagnosis.”

RT.

If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-NAMI or text “NAMI” to 741741.

You Might Also Like

• A Cleaning Expert Explains the Best Way to Clean Cloth Face Masks After You Wear Them — Good Housekeeping

• 35 Delicious Pantry Recipes That Use What's Already in Your Cabinets and Freezer — Good Housekeeping

• The Amish keep to themselves. And they’re hiding a horrifying secret. — Cosmopolitan