Music

Kehlani Reveals Gaza Genocide Took a Severe Toll on Her Mental Health

BYYassine Hariss

April 27, 2026

Nearly three years after the most recent escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip, R&B singer Kehlani opened up about how the events following Oct. 7, 2023 took a toll on her mental health, pointing to the emotional weight of witnessing such devastation in real time.

In an interview with American music and entertainment publication Vibe magazine— co-founded by legendary producer Quincy Jones— the 31-year-old revealed she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, adding that she sought professional help for her mental health in the aftermath of the events in Occupied Palestinian Territories.

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Une publication partagée par Mohamed Hadid (@mohamedhadid)

Now aware of the medical reasons behind what she had been experiencing, she explained that putting a name to it allowed her to better understand her reactions, seek the right support, and begin navigating with more clarity than before. Citing the overlap between her own personal struggles and the relentless exposure to violence as the starting point of her journey toward regaining emotional stability, the video interview — since re-posted by Palestinian business mogul Mohamed Hadid — quickly gained traction online, amplifying her words across a wider audience.

“The biggest trigger that catapulted the worst episodic time period was the beginning of the genocide that we were witnessing [in Gaza], and reaching extreme paranoia of everything and everyone,” Kehlani said in the interview. “I [was] having a hard time going outside and being in my house. I’m yelling at the phone every day, thinking that me shaming everybody and being so angry was going to teach everyone. It [was] making my paranoia and anger worse,” she continued.

“Watching babies get blown to bits should do something to you. All of that combined with me not knowing what to do with my position [and] the survivor’s guilt. You’re a thriving celebrity in a time when people are struggling to get their needs met and are being murdered for existing. All of that just made me snap. I wouldn’t say thank God for the snap, but I wouldn’t have gotten the diagnosis if I didn’t fly off the handles the way that I did,” she added.

Among the few A-listers in Hollywood to be so vocal about the ongoing crisis in the Holy Land, Kehlani has consistently used her platform to speak out, framing her stance not as a momentary reaction but as part of a broader, ongoing commitment to raising awareness. In recent years, she has collaborated with Palestinian artists— including Saint Levant— and used her social media platforms to spotlight the situation, in contrast to many of her peers who have remained silent, often due to concern over backlash, industry pressure, or potential professional repercussions.

Kehlani Reveals Gaza Genocide Took a Severe Toll on Her Mental Health

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Kehlani Reveals Gaza Genocide Took a Severe Toll on Her Mental Health

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