Kanye West is in California receiving treatment following his hospitalization for exhaustion and dehydration. According to reports on TMZ, the rapper was escorted to the hospital following an episode early in the morning at a gym. Kim Kardashian, upon hearing the news, boarded a private plane to fly back to California to be with her husband.
Then earlier today, TMZ obtained audio of a 911 phone call about the 39-year-old. In it, he is described as having a "psychiatric emergency." You can also hear the police and firemen walkie-ing back and forth to each other, assessing the situation with addresses, police codes, and descriptions of the scene.
It's bizarre and uncomfortable to listen to. Though, this is mostly because it's really none of our business.
It's frightening to know that anyone — celebrity or otherwise — can be robbed of their privacy during the time they need it most: in a moment of life-threatening distress. No matter if it's West, you, or me.
Sadly, this scenario is just one of many examples of TMZ purchasing private calls to post on their website. Celebrities, law enforcement, and emergency responders should all expect to be treated with respect during any medical situation. We shouldn't be burdened with knowing that our 911 calls will be sold for thousands of dollars for a few profitable clicks on a gossip website. Recently, TMZ even published a controversial photo of none other than Taylor Swift, in relation to a lawsuit she filed against a DJ that she claims groped her, proving that no one is safe from the site's consistently invasive tendencies.
West's public rants and freak-outs escalated last week when he interrupted a sold-out show to talk smack about Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Earlier last week he also proclaimed that he would have voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election (contrasting his wife's endorsement of Hillary Clinton). Earlier this month he also ended another show early because of problems with his voice and throat. On top of all that, November 10 marked the tenth anniversary of his mother, Donda West's, untimely death from heart complications following a plastic surgery operation. The two were extremely close, leaving West feeling especially heartbroken, even blaming himself for her death.
With all of these outbursts, cancellations, and emotional flare-ups, it's clear that West is dealing with some sort of health or mental fatigue. To many, that sounds unfortunate. To TMZ, that sounds like great potential footage to get ahold of. The site famously purchases information, documents, video footage, and audio footage from anyone that can get them an exclusive scoop.
Which is why, to me, being a celebrity seems like it sucks. Yes, you get unprecedented access to exclusive events, forge relationships with elite members of society, and make lots of money, but you also get screwed when it comes to never really being able to step out of the spotlight.
Privacy is something that we are all have a right to. Yet it's something immediately stripped from those in the public eye. For that, we should give West the right to recover and get back to normal at a respectful distance. No leaked phone calls. No paparazzi shots.
But who knows if he'll ever be given that luxury.
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