CULTURE

CupcakKe’s Tweet About Suicide Prompted Charli XCX and More Collaborators to Express Their Concern on Social Media

The Chicago-based rapper has reportedly been brought to safety after tweeting about suicide.

by Brooke Marine

NYLON + NYLON Guys Celebrate the Music Issue at House of Vans Brooklyn
Rob Kim/Getty Images

Chicago-based rapper CupcakKe, also known as Elizabeth Harris, has reportedly been brought to safety after expressing suicidal thoughts on Twitter.

The rapper tweeted “im about to commit suicide” on Monday night, and almost immediately, thousands of replies poured in from concerned fans, friends, and collaborators in the industry. According to BBC News, Chicago Police reported that after her message was posted to both Twitter and Instagram a few officers checked on the 21-year-old rapper, and brought her to the hospital for a “mental evaluation.”

Primarily known for her raunchy, playful, and uninhibited lyrics about sex, CupcaKke has also broached the subject of suicide and mental health in the songs she has made for her five albums. In August, she told the stories behind some of her songs to Dazed, explaining how the trauma of abuse in her teenage years eventually informed her music. “Being homeless, living in shelters, dealing with overaged, older men that hit on me… all that is in the music,” the rapper said. “Because I’m not the only one who should know this. The world should know this. The world should know it, so that the next girl will know how to deal with it when the situation comes to her. I’m not the only one who has to deal with that situation; I know it’s many, many girls. Your voice is very powerful, and I try to use [mine] very wisely,” she continued.

Charli XCX, who collaborated with CupcakKe on two tracks in 2017—Pop 2‘s “I Got It” and “Lipgloss” from her Number 1 Angel mix tape—tweeted out support for her friend and fellow musician. “You have taught me and so many others so much about being ourselves, embracing exactly who we are and being proud of where we come from and what we stand for,” Charli XCX wrote in a screenshot posted to Twitter. “Please confide in friends and family. You are such a beautiful and wonderful person and we simply cannot lose you,” she concluded.

Iggy Azalea, who was slated to tour with CupcakKe as an opener in 2018, also tweeted concern for the musician. “I understand how hopeless and overwhelmed with negativity we can sometimes feel,” she said. I hope you’ll take some time with those that really know YOU best; then when you’re ready come back stronger than ever!”

Writers, musicians, comedians, and actors like Ira Madison III, Elijah Daniel, Lizzo, and Skai Jackson also tweeted their support for CupcakKe, eventually sharing their relief to hear the news of her safety.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

Related: Exclusive: A Day in the Life of Charli XCX