The rapper was arrested last August after allegedly roaming the streets of Los Angeles nearly naked.

Lil Nas X gives update on his mental health and bipolar diagnosis: ‘I’m smelling the roses’

The rapper was arrested last August after allegedly roaming the streets of Los Angeles nearly naked.

By Sharareh Drury

June 17, 2026 3:30 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Lil Nas X at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills. Credit:

Neilson Barnard/Getty

- Lil Nas X revealed he has been in rehab "for a few months" and now sees a therapist and psychiatrist.

- The rapper said he originally didn't want to admit to his bipolar diagnosis, fearing people would "think differently" of him.

- Lil Nas X was arrested in August and charged with four felonies, including three counts of battery against a police officer.

Lil Nas X is getting candid about his mental health and bipolar diagnosis following his arrest last August on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

The Grammy-winning rapper took to Instagram on Wednesday, admitting in a video that he felt "awkward" but was ready to give an update on his well-being.

"I've been in rehab for a few months, and since then I've been, you know, back at home, whether it's in Atlanta with my family or in Los Angeles with myself and friends and whatnot, and trying to ground myself down to earth and get out of my head," the rapper said at the start of his video.

Lil Nas X, whose given name is Montero Lamar Hill, explained that he now has a therapist and a psychiatrist, following his admission into a mental health diversion program in March. If he completes a treatment plan, and obeys all laws for the next two years, his felony police battery case will be dismissed.

"When I got my bipolar disorder diagnosis, I feel like I had known for, like, the past few years, but I wouldn't admit to it, because I didn't want to have to take medication, and have people think differently," Lil Nas X continued in the video. "I mean, I'm already, like, Black and gay, like, damn, God... come on, Black, gay, bipolar. I'm, like, living life on, like, extreme hard mode."

The "Industry Baby" rapper emphasized he is "doing much better" and "creating freely," saying he is focusing on "smelling the roses."

Lil Nas X, who is signed to Columbia Records, also revealed he is working on new music, but nothing is complete as of yet. The rapper's most recent release was the EP* Days Before Dreamboy, *which debuted in March 2025.

"I'm excited to do that, and I'm excited to go on this journey with you guys, this next chapter," he added. "We've been through so much together, like, thank you guys for holding it down, and I love you, and all I want to do is continue to try to make you proud and make myself proud, so let's go, Dreamboy, let's go, you."

Lil Nas X's father blames fame for his son's 'breakdown' and arrest: 'It's like a high'

Lil Nas X breaks silence after arrest and felony charges: 'That was f---ing terrifying'

Lil Nas X was arrested last August in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, where officers alleged they found the 26-year-old walking nude in the street shortly before 6 a.m. Authorities claim he charged at officers when confronted, leading to his arrest. Suspecting a possible overdose, police transported the musician to a local hospital, where he stayed for several hours before being taken to jail.

The "Industry Baby" rapper was charged with four felonies: three counts of battery against a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer. Lil Nas X pleaded not guilty to all four charges. Shortly after his arrest, the rapper uploaded a video to his Instagram Story in which he assured followers that he would be "okay."

Lil Nas X in a courthouse in Van Nuys, Calif., for a preliminary hearing on March 12, 2026.

Daniel Cole-Pool/Getty

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

Last September, the rapper's father, Robert Stafford, defended his son, arguing that his recent "breakdown" was due to fame.

"I understand how the music business is. It’s like a high," the 56-year-old gospel singer told the U.K.'s *Sunday Times*. "When you get to that level, you want that drug again, you want to hit that high again."

"I went to visit him in jail, and as soon as I walked through that door, I couldn’t do anything but cry," Stafford said. "To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass. We shed tears with each other for a minute. And I had to tell him that ‘What you’re going through is normal. We all have breakdowns every now and then, but the difference is, yours get played out in the public eye.'"

"When I went to visit, he asked me to say, ‘Tell everybody I’m sorry they saw me like that.’ Even in that moment, he was apologizing to people for something he was going through," Stafford added. "Hopefully, this is a turning point in his mental stability. Sometimes God will take you through your worst moment to give you your best moment."

*If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at **988lifeline.org** 24/7.*

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Health

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Celebrity”