Azealia Banks Releases Statement After Fans Show Concern For Her Mental Health

Fans took to Twitter to express their thoughts on her needing support rather than negative call-outs that could impact her mental health.

Azealia Banks has released an Instagram post updating her fans on her well-being. Alongside a selfie, the caption to the post read, “I’m fine better than I was before.”

Over the weekend, fans rallied behind Banks and touched on her mental health after she shared a number of alarming posts on her Instagram which included suicidal thoughts.

On Saturday she wrote the following:

“Yea, I think I’m done here. This pandemic, extreme lack of social interaction, no intimacy, combined with constant public ridicule is making life harder than it’s worth... I think I will end my tenure here on earth soon.”

For those who assume Banks was seeking attention, she made it clear she wasn’t. “I’m not begging for attention or asking for sympathy/empathy…. I’m just ready to go.” She added: “I will document my last times and release a film for you all to finally understand me, from my perspective. My soul is tired.”

In a follow-up video, she shared that she’d be releasing several projects her fans had been waiting for. But, she also made mention of voluntary euthanasia options since she “doesn’t have any more defense.”

At the moment, it’s not clear what led to her latest posts. Banks' fans spoke up for her and called out the fact that her mental health has been affected over the years. Recently, she expressed she was going to have a “Britney Spears moment” and then shaved her head. She shared this process on Instagram and mentioned she cut her hair “to feel fresh again.”

In recent years, Azealia has maintained her status as a widely followed and controversial figure mainly due to her sporadic posts on social media. Despite this, she’s also an undeniable talent in the hip-hop industry. Her wordplay, personal style, and ever-changing hairstyles cannot be ignored as they are a case study that has been followed. To her many fans, she was a blueprint that left an indelible mark on the industry.

As the entire nation reckons with the COVID-19 pandemic, Azealia’s recent commentary highlights mental health should be taken seriously. Black women also deserve a certain level of grace when coping with internal conflict publicly.

Take a look at the messages below from fans that provided a look at Banks' current state shared on Twitter below. Notable highlights come from Atlanta artist Yung Baby Tate, Kali Uchis and fashion archivist Rashida Renée.