Cupcakke: Rapper in hospital after suicide tweet
- Published
Rapper Cupcakke has been taken to hospital by police after tweeting that she was going to take her own life.
The 21-year-old shared the tweet to Instagram with the caption: "Thank you for everything y'all have done for me, I really appreciate it."
Chicago Police said that Cupcakke, real name Elizabeth Harris, was taken to hospital for a "mental evaluation" rather than injuries.
She has previously spoken about suicide in her music.
Fans raised the alarm after spotting the tweet early on Tuesday morning UK time.
More than 10,000 concerned people responded to the tweet to tell her how loved she is.
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Charli XCX, who Cupcakke collaborated with twice in 2017, posted asking the rapper to stay strong and reminding her that she's an "inspiration" to many people.
"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," she said.
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Comedian and friend Elijah Daniel was one of a number of people who asked the Chicago Police Department to check on Cupcakke, and was tweeting updates to reassure fans.
"Officers went out a few times to check on Elizabeth," Chicago Police Department told Radio 1 Newsbeat.
"Once they got in touch with her, they took her to hospital - not for her injuries - but for a mental evaluation."
Cupcakke gained attention for her sexually explicit lyrics.
She's a fan favourite of the LGBT community and has released critically acclaimed albums talking about masturbation, female sexuality and body positivity.
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But Cupcakke also has darker songs.
In 2016 she released "Pedophile", a song telling the story of a 15-year-old who was abused by a man ten years older, written in the first person.
"Being homeless, living in shelters, dealing with over-aged, older men that hit on me… all that is in the music," she told, external Dazed magazine last year.
"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."
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Cupcakke was due to be touring the UK this week but the dates had previously been pushed back until March.
She'll be playing gigs in Glasgow, Dublin, London, Birmingham and Manchester.
Newsbeat has contacted Cupcakke's representatives for comment.
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- Published16 December 2018
- Published11 September 2018