Mental health journeys aren’t always linear, and Lil Nas X is being real about his. The Grammy-winning musician, 27, born Montero Hill, just gave followers a three-minute update on Instagram, letting everyone know he’s “doing much better” after a tough stretch last year.
He spent “a few months” in rehab and is now back in Atlanta with his family, finding his footing again. This is his first major public update since August, when things got complicated. Police found him walking in the street in his underwear in Los Angeles, and he was arrested and charged with attacking officers. He pleaded not guilty.
Here’s the thing though—there was more going on beneath the surface. In April, a judge allowed Hill to enter a mental health program after he received a bipolar disorder diagnosis. The judge acknowledged his behavior was “aberrant from his normal conduct,” opening the door for the charges to potentially be dismissed if he completes the program.
The diagnosis wasn’t completely shocking to Hill, even if he wasn’t ready to face it head-on before. “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 and, I don’t know, have people think different of me,” he shared openly.
He used humor to process the weight of it all. “I’m already black and gay, like, damn, God,” he joked. “Gay, bipolar, like I’m living life on extreme hard mode.” That’s vulnerability mixed with the kind of real talk that resonates—especially in spaces where queer identity and mental wellness intersect for Black artists.
Now, though, there’s a lightness in his words. Hill says he’s feeling steadier these days. “I’m feeling better, I’m creating freely, and there’s less fear in my heart,” he said. “I’m just smelling the roses.” That’s growth. That’s healing. And that matters.
★m★
