On Monday, 21 April, Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, shared a snippet of a new song titled ‘Cousins’ via his official X account, accompanied by a deeply personal and unsettling caption that has sparked widespread discussion across social media. The post has since been deleted.

@bensuarezfr

wow🥀 #kanyewest #ye #bensuarezfr

♬ Dust Collector - ybg lucas

In the post, West explained that the track was inspired by his cousin, who he says is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of a pregnant woman. Alongside this, the rapper detailed a disturbing childhood memory involving the same cousin. According to West, the two were exposed to adult material at a young age, which allegedly led to them “reenacting everything” they saw. In both his caption and lyrics, West references an act of incest, saying he “gave [his] cousin head” and asked him not to tell anyone.

“Perhaps in my self centred mess I felt it was my fault that I showed him those dirty magazines when he was six and then we acted out what we saw,” West wrote. “My name is Ye and I sucked my cousin’s dick till I was 14. Tweet sent.”

Shortly after the post began circulating and gaining traction online, YouTuber and beauty entrepreneur Jeffree Star added fuel to the fire with a cryptic tweet: “Ok fuck it.. The rumours were true.” While the creator did not directly reference West’s post, many interpreted his comment as a dig at the rapper, especially given the existence of a now-debunked rumour from 2021 that falsely claimed the two were romantically involved.

Ok fuck it.. The rumors were true 👅

— Jeffree Star (@JeffreeStar) April 22, 2025

The original rumour, started by TikToker Ava Louise, suggested that West was seeing “a male beauty guru,” which quickly spiralled into baseless speculation that Star was the person in question.

The claim gained traction partly because both figures owned property in Wyoming at the time. Star later dismissed the gossip in a YouTube video, calling it “the dumbest sh*t.”

Given this context, Star’s recent tweet has been viewed by some as an opportunistic attempt to go viral amid West’s latest controversy. However, others have pointed out that the focus should not be on revisiting old internet gossip but on the implications of West’s recent admission and his current mental state, with some calling for compassion rather than mockery or sensationalism.

Kanye West revealed he had a sexual experience with his male cousin as a child, after being exposed to explicit material. This isn’t a joke and shouldn’t be treated like one. Joking about childhood trauma is exactly why so many never speak up or get the help they need.

— zellie (@zellieimani) April 22, 2025

Imagine you talk about sex abuse and everyone takes it as an opportunity to call you gay https://t.co/iJ403u9ngh

— Glen BC (@strangecapers92) April 22, 2025

West, who has previously spoken about both his bipolar disorder and autism diagnosis, has made headlines in recent years for increasingly erratic behaviour and controversial public statements. In 2024 alone, he sparked backlash for everything from openly confessing a long-term porn addiction, to promoting antisemitic views and repeatedly using Nazi imagery — including incorporating swastika symbolism into his Yeezy branding.

@jakesgone

Whyyyyyyy 😖😫😢 #kanyewest #twitter

♬ original sound - jake.2.

As of now, West has not offered any further clarification or follow-up to his post.

With this latest incident, many are urging a shift in how we respond to celebrity revelations, particularly when they touch on issues of trauma, mental health, and abuse. This isn’t a headline, it’s a cry for help.