Grammy-nominated rapper Desiigner said he would seek mental-health treatment after he allegedly exposed himself on a plane over the weekend.
After news broke of the incident, the Panda rapper released a statement in which he opened up about his recent mental health struggles.
“For the past few months, I have not been OK, and I have been struggling to come to terms with what is going on,” the Brooklyn native wrote on his Instagram Story Thursday night. “While overseas for a concert I performed at, I had to be admitted into a hospital. I was not thinking clearly.”
He added that he was under the influence of unspecified medication when he took the flight and is “ashamed” of his actions.
The rap artist also said that he is canceling all his upcoming performances and encouraged his supporters to seek help if they are also struggling mentally.
The Panda rapper, whose real name is Sidney Royel Selby III, was on an international flight returning to the United States after he visited Thailand and Tokyo when the incident occurred, according to TMZ.
The outlet added that he was reprimanded by a flight attendant and was questioned by police when the plane landed in Minneapolis before being released without charges.
Desiigner threatened to retire from rap following Takeoff’s tragic death
The 25-year-old rapper released an emotional video following the shooting death of Takeoff in November last year in which he threatened to retire from his rap career.
He seemingly was overwhelmed by the string of tragic deaths involving the rap community, with Takeoff’s being the final straw.
In a video shared on social media, the rapper yelled, “I’m done!” repeatedly before questioning, Takeoff and other rappers’ tragic deaths.
“Why?” he screams out multiple times as he shed tears. “Why do we f***ing do this?”
In an extended version of the clip shared by TMZ, Desiigner paid tribute to the Migos rapper Takeoff and PnB Rock, Biggie, and Nipsey Hussle, who were all tragically shot to death.
He also offered his condolences to Quavo, Offset, DJ Durel, and the rest of the Quality Control music group.
Desiigner explained his relationship with Takeoff and the Migos
Many fans were confused by Desiigner’s heartbreak following Takeoff’s death. The pair had not released music together, but he appeared on the song Champions with Takeoff’s cousin Quavo.
He revealed in an interview with Hot New Hip Hop that the pair go way back before The Migos released their No.1 hit record, Bad and Bougee, in 2016.
The rapper recalled spending time with Takeoff. “At Hennessy’s birthday party. Me and Takeoff, we were over there chillin’ and talking about how we shrooming it. So yeah, it was that type of bond with my boy. Every time I seen my boy, it was good vibes.”
In January, Desiigner ended his brief retirement with the release of his new song, Bigger & Bigger.