7 celebrities who have opened up about being bipolar: from Kanye West and Selena Gomez to Mariah Carey, Braveheart star Mel Gibson and Stranger Things’ actor David Harbour

Feb 1 , 2024

Selena Gomez, Kanye West and Mariah Carey have all spoken out about their bipolar diagnoses. Photos: @Getty Images; @yewest321; @mariahcarey/Instagram

Having a mental health disorder does not define you, but it can affect how you see and experience the world. Bipolar disorder can cause unusual shifts in people’s moods, ranging from extreme highs classed as “manic” episodes, to depressive lows, according to US government body Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

And while dealing with the condition is hard enough for most, being in the public eye can make things even more difficult. Kanye West, aka Ye, is probably the most notable example of a celebrity whose erratic behaviour has caused controversy in recent years – losing deals with Adidas and harassing Pete Davidson among them – but he’s not the only famous person to struggle with the disorder.

These are eight stars who have opened up about being bipolar.

1. Ye, aka Kanye West

Kanye West has called being bipolar his “superpower”. Photo: @PigsAndPlans/X

Since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West)’s behaviour has often been characterised as manic by the media, though the rapper has clapped back against that assumption in the past. “It’s cheap and dismissive to say I’m off my meds anytime I speak up,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter two years ago.

Ye has also described being bipolar as his “superpower” and, during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel in 2018, he said he was glad his mum didn’t fully medicate him from an early age because he “might have never been Ye”.

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2. Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez made an Apple TV+ documentary about her bipolar disorder and mental health struggles called My Mind & Me. Photo: EPA

Selena Gomez had no idea she was bipolar until she was diagnosed at a mental health facility in 2018. “I think when I started hitting my early twenties is … when I started to feel like I was not in control of what I was feeling, whether that was really great or really bad,” she told Rolling Stone.

Since getting help for the condition, Gomez has made a documentary about it called My Mind & Me for Apple TV+.

3. Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey says she was in denial about being bipolar at first, before getting treatment. Photo: AP

The “We Belong Together” singer may be one of the biggest stars on the planet, but she suffered in silence for years – largely because she didn’t want to believe that she had the disorder, she told People magazine in 2018.

“Until recently, I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me,” she said. “I simply couldn’t do that any more. I sought and received treatment … and I got back to doing what I love – writing songs and making music.”

4. Mel Gibson

Actor Mel Gibson once said he “had really good highs but some very low lows” as a result of his bipolar disorder. Photo: AP Photo

Just like West, Braveheart star Mel Gibson has repeatedly gotten into trouble for his off-the-cuff statements and violent outbursts – including yelling anti-Semitic remarks at a police officer during a DUI arrest.

A psychiatrist spoke to ABC News about the actor, saying that “bipolar can lower your impulse control” and may be partly to blame for his actions.

Gibson first revealed he had the condition in a 2008 documentary, saying: “I had really good highs but some very low lows.”

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5. Halsey

Halsey wrote an album during a manic episode. Photo: @iamhalsey/Instagram

Diagnosed as a teenager, singer Halsey is one of the few stars who has made an effort to help others understand the disorder. In 2020, she released an album called Manic that she said was written during a manic episode. “What was really important to me was making sure [the album] was also educational”, she told Artist Spotlight Stories.

In July 2020, she also defended West after his so-called Tweetstorm, saying: “A manic episode isn’t a joke. If you can’t offer understanding or sympathy, offer your silence.”

6. Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato was relieved when she finally received a bipolar diagnosis, having struggling with the disorder since her teens. Photo: @ddlovato/Instagram

Like many celebrities, singer Demi Lovato has found dealing with bipolar disorder even more difficult as a public figure. On stage at the Hollywood & Mind Summit last May, the former Disney Channel star recalled being 15 years old on a tour bus and seeing fans outside, trying to get her to wave. “And all I could do was just sit there and cry,” she said, adding that when she finally got a diagnosis, she was “so relieved”.

7. David Harbour

David Harbour – aka police chief Jim Hopper in Stranger Things – has opened up about his mental health struggles. Photo: @dkharbour/Instagram

Stranger Things star David Harbour’s experience with bipolar was so extreme that at one point his parents committed him to a psychiatric hospital. In a lengthy discussion with Marc Maron on his WTF podcast, Harbour said that his episodes were often linked to spirituality and God, making him feel like he “had all the answers suddenly”.

Fame and celebrity

From losing deals with Adidas to trolling Kim Kardashian’s then-beau Pete Davidson, many believe Ye’s controversial outbursts are a result of his bipolar disorder
Fellow bipolar singer Halsey defended the ‘Heartless’ rapper, but what did other stars – from Selena Gomez to Demi Lovato and Mariah Carey – say about their condition?