Humor, compassion, conspiracy, scorn: The Internet reacts to Kanye West’s woes

Online controversy is swirling around Kanye West after the rapper was hospitalized Monday at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The hospitalization comes after a week of erratic behavior from West that included onstage diatribes about how the rapper would have voted for Donald Trump, had he actually voted, and pleas for Jay Z to call him. West walked off stage at his Saturday night concert in Sacramento after performing only three songs and canceled Sunday’s show at the Forum three hours before showtime.

On Monday, West scrapped the remaining 19 dates of his Saint Pablo tour and posted 99 archival fashion photos to Instagram in a four-hour period before later being hospitalized and receiving treatment for stress and exhaustion. 

As always, the Internet responded with a wild range of reactions.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »

Others saw West’s hospitalization as part of a larger conspiracy about celebrities who get punished for speaking truth to power.

Some people chose to overlook West’s history of unpredictable behavior and instead attributed his recent affliction to his association with wife Kim Kardashian and her extended family. 

And with the Kardashians, it’s often a matter of being guilty by association. Lamar Odom, then-husband of Khloé Kardashian, faced a similar reaction when he overdosed and fell into a coma last year.

However, more than any other reaction, West’s hospitalization seemed to shore up support for the troubled rapper. Some noted the strain that West was likely experiencing, and others chastised those who would make light of a situation that suggested West could be struggling with his mental health.

On Tuesday, TMZ published a recording of Fire Department radio traffic discussing the response to a “psychological emergency” at the home of West’s trainer. 

On Monday night, West’s mother-in-law, Kris Jenner, stated on the red carpet of the Angel Ball in New York City that the rapper was “exhausted.” 

[email protected]

Twitter: @midwestspitfire

ALSO

Kanye West's doctor called 911 during breakdown, report says; Kim Kardashian skips public return

Kanye West 'exhausted,' Kris Jenner says; rapper hospitalized after LAPD visit

Kanye West cancels remainder of his Saint Pablo tour after a rough week on the road