Kanye West deleted social media because he ‘realized his rants were becoming unhealthy’

Kanye West is taking a much-needed timeout from social media. 

“Kanye got to the point where he realized his rants were becoming unhealthy. This is why he deleted his account,” a source tells PEOPLE after the rapper, 41, cleared both his Twitter and Instagram accounts on Friday.

West, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, recently revealed he’s off his medication following his lengthy off-air, pro-Trump rant at Saturday Night Live and his controversial tweet about the 13th Amendment.

“When he gets into these Twitter rants, it’s very difficult for him to stop. It’s like an obsession and it actually affects his life. He knows it’s not healthy, so he wants to take things down a notch,” the source says.



The star has also been advised by his wife Kim Kardashian West to take a hiatus for the sake of their relationship and their kids: son Saint, 2½, and daughters North, 5, and 8-month-old Chicago.

“Kim agreed it was time for him to take a social media break. She just wants him to focus on his family for a bit now,” the source says. “He can also focus better on his music and being creative when he avoids social media.”

This is not the first time West has opted out of social media.

He previously abandoned Twitter for nearly a year, marking his return in April with tweet storm that ranged in topics from his Yeezy line to former brother-in-law Lamar Odom and publicly declared his love for President Donald Trump, calling him “my brother.”

Despite his mental health struggles, an insider recently told PEOPLE that West stays grounded for his three kids.

“Kanye is fine with the kids, and there is zero worry about him being around his own children,” the insider said. “He adores them, and would never do anything to damage them.”

The timing of his social media break may be due to a difficult anniversary that is approaching.

A source previously told PEOPLE that West believes he is fighting “dark spiritual forces” that are “evil” and is struggling ahead of the eleventh anniversary of his mother Donda’s death. Donda died of heart disease at age 58 in 2007 while suffering “multiple post-operative factors” following a plastic surgery operation.

“If you remember, it was a year ago that this happened … almost exactly a year ago,” the insider explained about the entertainer’s controversial actions in recent weeks. “It happens every fall as we get close to the anniversary of his mom’s death.”

Source: People.com