Kanye West has reportedly pulled out of his headlining Coachella set. According to TMZ and Variety, West decided to drop out of the festival at the last minute, with few details offered as to why. However, the last few months have made it pretty plain that Kanye’s been going through a lot; his divorce with Kim Kardashian was finalized as he sort of imploded on Instagram, lashing out at Kim’s new beau Pete Davidson, as well as anyone who publicly criticized his erratic behavior.
It could also be the result of Billie Eilish refusing to apologize to Travis Scott, who Kanye said would be joining him onstage at the festival. Eilish stopped a recent concert to ensure a fallen fan received medical aid; fans interpreted her comments during the incident as sniping at Travis Scott, who reportedly continued performing during his headlining Astroworld set as more than 300 people were injured during a crowd crush. 10 people died, sending Travis into a state of quasi-exile after he was removed as a Coachella headliner. Kanye’s set would have been Travis’ first time on a major stage since Astroworld. Kanye threatened to pull both himself and Travis unless Eilish apologized to Travis, drawing disapproval from some Astroworld victims’ families.
Incidentally, this isn’t even the first time Kanye has pulled out of headlining Coachella; in January 2019, he declined to headline the festival over a dispute regarding an unfeasible stage design. Instead, performed on a nearby hilltop, bringing his Sunday Service choir and debuting “Water” at the second weekend of 2019’s festival. This year, a petition on Change.org to have Kanye removed from Coachella over his bullying behavior received almost 30,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, Page Six reported that Kanye said he was “going away to get help,” which could also explain his last-minute withdrawal from performing. As he attacked Pete, Kim, and comedians like DL Hughley and Trevor Noah on social media, some fans worried about his mental health. If it’s true that he’s taking a break to get well, we can only wish him the absolute best.
