Kid Cudi has always been very open about his battles with his mental health. Whether it’s in his music, his actions, or simply his own words, he’s been transparent with what’s going on with him. Some details, however, he’s kept to himself. Until today, it was unknown that Kid Cudi had suffered a stroke while in rehab.
In 2016, being the transparent artist that he is, Kid Cudi announced via a Facebook post that he was checking himself into rehab for depression and suicidal thoughts. It was here that his story would ultimately take a turn for the better, but not before hitting rock bottom. Finally revealing to Esquire writer Clover Hope, Cudi says that he had the stroke two weeks into his rehab treatment and was hospitalized.
The stroke was followed by two weeks of physical rehab, as the condition affected his speech and movement. The effects of the stroke didn’t leave him until a moment in 2017 when he was auditioning for an acting role alongside Michael Cera, where he successfully memorized and performed a large amount of dialogue. Although he didn’t get the part, he proved to himself that his brain was working okay.
“I proved to myself that I could do it. I needed that at the time,” he told Esquire. “I was happy. Like, damn, my brain is still strong. I didn’t lose something in that shit that happened.”
You can read the rest of the fascinating profile of Kid Cudi on Esquire here.