Perhaps no celebrity in recent years has experienced such an unexpected rise as Danielle Bregoli, aka Bhad Bhabie.
In a matter of months, Bregoli went from belligerent Dr. Phil guest to meme to popular hip hop artist — and she’s still just 17 years old.
Not surprisingly, that meteoric ascent seems to have taken quite a toll on Bregoli.
According to a new report from TMZ, Bregoli has checked into rehab to seek treatment for trauma and addiction to prescription painkillers.
News of the rapper’s difficulties comes after she was criticized for remaining silent following the police murder of George Floyd.
“bad bhabie lil chickenhead ass been silent, too. we really ain’t caught her outside not once. hmm,” rival emcee Chika wrote on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Bregoli joined millions of others when she posted a black square to her Instagram page in honor of #BlackOutTuesday, a social media trend honoring anti-police brutality protests, which some have criticized as misguided.
Bregoli took flak for this, as well, with some arguing that it offered a simple way to break her silence without offering any substantive commentary on the current turmoil.
It was then that reps for Bregoli finally revealed why she had been largely absent from social media in recent weeks.
“We are very proud of Danielle for recognizing that she needed help and seeking it out,” her management team said in a statement issued to TMZ.
News that the teen has struggled with addiction and trauma will not come as much of a surprise to those who have followed her career.
Bregoli was abandoned by her father — also an addict — at a young age, and her relationship with her mother was so strained that it landed them both on Dr. Phil.
Since entering the spotlight, Bregoli has engaged in violent feuds with other rappers and media figures, including a beef with Whoa Vickie that famously turned violent.
Despite all of that, Bregoli’s decision to seek treatment during a time of national racial unrest has drawn criticism.
“Hiding from her cultural appropriation BS!” one Twitter user replied in response to TMZ’s story.
“Is she in hiding? Did she say something really really stupid?” another wrote.
“Because I know damn well she isn’t in rehab for actual rehab.”
Obviously, no one knows Bregoli’s exact reasons for seeking treatment except for Bregoli and her therapists.
Whatever the case, we hope she’s able to find whatever sort of help she needs.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.