On an October 15, 2025 episode of the podcast Call Her Daddy, Kim Kardashian detailed aspects of her marriage to former husband Kanye West (Ye), referring to it as “toxic” and citing erratic behavior, emotional instability, and concerns about safety and trust. Kardashian said that the relationship became difficult when she no longer felt emotionally, physically, or financially safe, and that her children’s well-being prompted her to end things. She also referenced West’s public disclosure of private family matters and impulsive actions, including giving away their luxury cars during what she called “episodes.”
Kardashian said she initially attempted to support West when signs of mental health struggles emerged—“when someone has, like, their first mental break, you want to be super supportive,” she told host Alex Cooper—but over time she saw that he was not willing to make changes she considered healthy. She described feeling unsettled not knowing “which version of him” she would encounter on a given day, and ultimately decided to leave in order to preserve her mental state and capacity to parent.
West publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, though the timing and extent of his disclosures have varied. His diagnosis was broadly disclosed around 2018, following a hospitalization in 2016 described by public sources as a “psychiatric emergency.” In a 2019 interview, West likened his mental health condition to a “sprained brain,” saying: “If someone has a sprained ankle, you’re not going to push on him more.”
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by alternating periods of mania (or hypomania) and depression.
During a manic episode, an individual’s energy, activity, and emotional state may escalate, sometimes accompanied by impulsive decision-making, reduced need for sleep, racing thoughts, or grandiosity.
Depressive phases typically involve low mood, loss of interest, fatigue, and changes in appetite or sleep. The severity and duration of episodes vary by individual.
While bipolar disorder is often manageable, it carries risks if untreated or poorly managed: severe mood swings, impaired judgement, financial and interpersonal instability, and increased likelihood of self-harm or hospitalization. Public figures with bipolar disorder may face additional pressure due to scrutiny over erratic behavior.
In February 2025, West announced on his podcast that he believed his earlier bipolar diagnosis was a misdiagnosis and said he had been newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, citing observations from his wife, Bianca Censori. He stated that the autism diagnosis more closely aligned with his behavioral patterns and allowed him to recontextualize earlier episodes.
These shifts in public diagnostic narratives reflect the complexity inherent in mental health, particularly when symptoms overlap or evolve. Diagnostic reevaluation is not unusual in psychiatry, especially when new observations or stressors emerge.
Kardashian’s account frames the challenges in her marriage partly in relational terms: unpredictability, emotional strain, and public exposure of private family details. She described the cumulative effect of repeated incidents—"a lot of things I wouldn’t deal with” —as pushing her to a breaking point.
Kardashian described co-parenting as a continuing priority, noting she stepped away when she felt she could no longer parent well under the prevailing conditions. She framed the end of the relationship as necessary to maintain stability for their four children. Kardashian also emphasized that though the relationship had been painful, she does not view it as a failure, given their shared history and offspring.
(Rh/Eth/TL/MSM)
