Lil Nas X shares update after getting mental health care: ‘There’s less fear in my heart’

Lil Nas X arrives at the premiere of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel on 20 June 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Photograph: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP View image in fullscreen Lil Nas X arrives at the premiere of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel on 20 June 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Photograph: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Lil Nas X shares update after getting mental health care: ‘There’s less fear in my heart’ Musician says on Instagram he is ‘doing much better’ and receiving treatment and therapy after 2025 arrest The musician Lil Nas X posted a moving video update to his Instagram on Wednesday morning. In the nearly three-minute clip, the artist – born Montero Lamar Hill – shared that he “has been in rehab for a few months” and since then, has returned home to Atlanta, where he is from and his family lives, and Los Angeles, where he resides. The update comes in response to an event last summer in which the musician was charged with attacking Los Angeles police officers. In April, a judge allowed the 27-year-old to enter a mental health diversion program intended to lead to the charges being dismissed. The musician was eligible for the program because the court found that the encounter involving police was the result of his since-diagnosed bipolar disorder and appeared to be an aberration compared with his usual behavior. In Wednesday’s video, Lil Nas X publicly discussed his mental health diagnosis. “I have a therapist now and a psychiatrist, which has been really helpful. When I got my bipolar disorder diagnosis, I feel like I had known for the past few years, but I didn’t want to admit to it ‘cause I didn’t want to have to take medication and, I don’t know, have people think different of me.” “I’m doing much better,” he continued after joking that he’s “living life on extreme hard mode”. “I’m feeling better. I’m creating freely. And there’s less fear in my heart,” he said. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes dramatic shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and concentration. These range from periods of extremely elated, irritable or energized behavior – known as manic episodes – to very sad, indifferent or hopeless periods, known as depressive episodes. “I’ve been doing music for seven years now,” Lil Nas X said in switching gears near the end of the clip. “I wanted to let you guys know there is new music on the way.” Then he addressed his fans directly. “I love you and all I want to do is continue to try to make you proud and make myself proud.” Lil Nas X was arrested and briefly taken to a hospital for a suspected overdose in August after Los Angeles police say he charged at officers responding to a report of a naked man walking on a busy boulevard. Authorities allege the musician was walking nude down a street in LA’s San Fernando valley and charged at police officers who were responding to calls about him. A criminal complaint says three officers were hurt. Photos and video apparently shot before the police confrontation showed