Rapper and musician Yo Yo Honey Singh has once again opened up about the darkest time in his life, discussing his struggle with bipolar disorder and drug addiction at the peak of his popularity. Honey Singh has discussed how, from 2011 to 2014, he was overtaken by superstardom, money, and addiction. Also, he revealed that Bollywood celebrities Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan had always alerted him about the risky path he was taking.
‘I was in a very demonic state of mind’
In a podcast with ABtalks, when he recalled peak of his stardom, Honey Singh acknowledged that success fundamentally altered him. He admitted that drugs and early success led him to become cocky, rude, and detached from reality.
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He said, “I was not happy. I was at my peak in 2013 and 2014. I was not in my senses. My ideology was different at that time. When I made it, I used to walk differently, talk differently, and disrespect everyone. I used to think that I did it all. I even used to call myself God. I was making money and getting successful at a very young age, and while doing that, I was also doing drugs. I was in a very demonic state of mind. I didn’t like that version of myself.”
Honey Singh shared during the discussion that some Bollywood celebrities saw his deteriorating health and counselled him against using narcotics. He particularly recalled Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan for their continuous remarks and concern.
The singer added later, “I don’t want to blame the entertainment industry for anything. I got the chance to share screen space with legends and have personal access to their lives at a very young age. People like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar — they are such simple people, there is no darkness in them… They used to observe me and tell me to stay away from what I was doing because it was wrong. Especially Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar. Shah Rukh Khan told me many times, ‘This is going to spoil you, finish you, and destroy you.”
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Recovering and turning back to music
Following Desi Kalakaar’s huge success in 2014, Honey Singh was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he battled severe substance misuse, which marked the beginning of his collapse. According to reports, he broke down in middle of a tour in 2017, he paused performing, and went back to Delhi for medical treatments and recuperation.
Honey Singh came to the spotlight again in 2023 with Kalaastar, the Sonakshi Sinha-starring Desi Kalakaar sequel. Since then, he has published his CD 51 Glorious Days and started performing live.
