Lil Nas X Reflects on Bipolar Diagnosis and Rehab, Says New Music Is on the Horizon

Conversations about mental health and celebrity are rarely tidy, and Lil Nas X has chosen to make his as public and direct as possible. In a candid Instagram video posted June 17, the Grammy-winning artist behind “Old Town Road” updated fans on a mental health journey that has included rehab, therapy, and a bipolar disorder diagnosis first disclosed in 2025.

He opens the clip with a plainspoken status check: months in rehab followed by time at home, split between family in Atlanta and friends in Los Angeles, all part of an effort “to ground myself down to Earth and get out of my head.” He goes on to name the concrete steps he’s taken: seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist, practices he says have been “really helpful.”

“I’ve been in rehab for a few months, and since then I’ve been back at home, whether it’s in Atlanta with my family or in Los Angeles with myself and friends and whatnot,” he says. “Trying to ground myself down to Earth and get out of my head. I have a therapist now and a psychiatrist, which has been really helpful.”

There’s a streak of gallows humor in his delivery—a defense mechanism and a way to undercut stigma. Lil Nas X admits he suspected something was wrong for years but resisted labeling it because he didn’t want to go on medication. “I feel like I had known for like the past few years, but I didn’t want to admit to it because I didn’t want to have to take medication,” he explains. Then, with a wink: “I mean, I’m already Black and gay, like, damn, God. Gay, bipolar, like I’m living life on extreme hard mode.”

“I’m doing much better, I’m feeling better, I’m creating freely, and there’s less fear in my heart. I’m just smelling the roses,” he adds, a line that lands as both relief and a recalibration of priorities.

The update doesn’t shy away from the practicalities of where the story now sits in the legal system. In April 2026 a Los Angeles judge ordered Lil Nas X into a mental health diversion program after his August 2025 arrest, a development that could have major consequences for the pending charges if he complies.

Under the diversion arrangement the court will dismiss the felony assault charges if he follows the prescribed medical program and stays out of legal trouble for two years. The order also bars him from possessing weapons or threatening violence during that period.

Practically speaking, the artist says he’s not yet diving headfirst into the studio, but he’s optimistic about making music again. “I’m not getting completely to that just yet,” he admits, “But I’m excited to do that and I’m excited to go on that journey with you guys.” It’s a modest tease—a reminder that creation can be a slow and uneven process, especially while someone is prioritizing stability.

Watch Lil Nas X’s Update Fans on His Mental Health Journey Below

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