Grammy-winning pop and hip-hop star Lil Nas X has broken his silence to give fans a heartfelt update on his mental health, revealing he has made major progress after months of addiction and mental health treatment following his August 2023 arrest. In a raw, vulnerable three-minute video shared to his Instagram, the 27-year-old artist, born Montero Hill, explained that he recently completed an inpatient rehab program and has returned to his hometown of Atlanta to reconnect with his family. This marks his first extensive public comment on his well-being since the 2023 incident that led to criminal charges.
Last summer, Hill was arrested after reports of erratic public behavior, during which he was found wandering Los Angeles streets in his underwear. He was ultimately charged with assaulting responding police officers, a charge he entered a not guilty plea for. Earlier this year in April, a Los Angeles judge approved a deferred prosecution deal that allowed Hill to complete a court-supervised mental health diversion program in exchange for eventual dismissal of all charges. The agreement was granted after Hill received an official diagnosis of bipolar disorder, with the judge noting that his behavior during the arrest was completely out of character for the artist.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition defined by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels, alternating between manic highs and depressive lows. In the video, Hill opened up about delaying his diagnosis for years, explaining that he avoided seeking official care out of fear of judgment from the public and reluctance to start prescription medication. In a mix of humor and sincerity, the artist joked, “I mean, I’m already black and gay, like, damn, God. Gay, bipolar, like I’m living life on extreme hard mode.”
Setting aside the joke, Hill shared that his time in treatment has led to a dramatic improvement in his mental state. “But on a serious note, 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 said. Filmed outdoors against a bright, clear blue sky, the video showed Hill appearing healthy and grounded as he read from prepared notes. He admitted to feeling awkward and nervous addressing fans after stepping back from social media for months.
Hill catapulted to global fame in 2019 with his genre-bending breakout hit *Old Town Road*, which spent a record-breaking 19 weeks atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned him two Grammy Awards. He solidified his stardom with subsequent chart-topping singles including *Montero (Call Me By Your Name)* and *Industry Baby*, works that cemented his status as a groundbreaking queer icon in the music industry and a pioneer at leveraging TikTok’s platform to connect with audiences. In 2023, he received a major career honor when Elton John personally selected him as the opening performer for his iconic headline set on Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage.
Near the end of his update, Hill shared that while he is not yet ready to jump back into the full spotlight of global pop stardom, he has been hard at work on new material. “I’ve been doing music for seven years now. I wanted to let you guys know there is new music on the way,” he said. Closing out the message, he turned directly to his loyal fanbase to thank them for their patience and support. “We’ve been through so much together. Thank you guys for holding me down. I love you and all I want to do is continue to try to make you proud and make myself proud.”
For anyone experiencing the mental health challenges discussed in this story, free and confidential support resources are available via the BBC Action Line.