(Hint: We Need to Talk About Kanye)
Narcissism on Display at the GRAMMYs
We all saw it. February 2, 2025, on GRAMMYs red carpet, in front of the world, Kanye West instructed his wife Bianca Censori to disrobe – and she reluctantly complied. Under her coat, Censori wore a sheer, barely-there dress that essentially showed her to be nude. Even for the most casual observer, it was painfully obvious that she was terrified, and he was in control of her actions. It was horribly uncomfortable as West appeared to assert dominance over her as if she were a possession.
But does this action make West a narcissist? Or more specifically, does Kanye West exhibit traits of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
While someone can only be diagnosed by a trained mental health professional with the ability to conduct a thorough examination, West’s highly contemptible actions do prompt two extremely valuable questions.
(1) What Is Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)?
and
(2) What Happens When Narcissistic Behavior Goes Completely Unchecked?
What Is a Narcissist and What Is Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)?
According to WebMD, “Narcissism is extreme self-involvement to the degree that it makes a person ignore the needs of those around them.” It is important to remember that narcissism is a trait that all of us have to varying degrees, but strong narcissistic tendencies can be part of something much worse – narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
So, there is a little bit of narcissism in all of us.
In fact, according to Psychology Today, narcissistic behavior (traits) can be temporary and correctable, while pathological narcissism is unrelenting in frequency, intensity, and duration. In other words, people with NPD are persistently and chronically narcissistic. According to Dr. Allen Schwartz, Ph.D. in Mental Health.com, people with NPD have an exaggerated sense of self-importance, fantasies of unlimited success, a sense of entitlement, and exploitation of others for personal gain. Let’s break down the differences:
Narcissistic traits that all of us have at one point or another:
- Exuding confidence and self-assuredness
- Desiring achievement and success
- Seeking acknowledgment for accomplishments
- Displaying healthy self-esteem and self-worth
Individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
- Expect to be praised excessively without merit
- Fantasize about their unrealistic success, power, brilliance, intelligence, etc.
- Crave admiration excessively, often at the expense of others
- Openly exploit others for their own, personal gain
- Lack empathy and are unable to recognize the feelings and needs of others
- Exude arrogant or haughty behaviors
- Believe others are envious of them – or want to be them
Kanye West and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)
So back to the Grammy stunt – does this prove that West has NPD tendencies?
As mentioned previously, someone can only be diagnosed by a trained mental health professional with the ability to thoroughly examine them, but West’s highly contemptible actions do appear to demonstrate NPD tendencies.
Using the key hallmarks of narcissistic personality disorder as outlined above, let’s dissect the events.
Bianca Censori’s controversial outfit: Censori wore a sheer, barely-there dress that essentially exposed her naked body to millions of people. A body language expert claimed that she was experiencing real fear while West was “loving every second” of the stunt. Given that some narcissists (known as Malignant Narcissists) derive a sense of satisfaction from humiliating, abusing, or violating the boundaries of others, this event appears to fall under the category of NPD.
Kanye West’s reaction: As eluded to above, West seemed to embrace the controversy, even boasting about it on social media. He shared screenshots of search trends showing high interest in his wife’s name and suggested that they “beat the Grammys” by generating more attention than the awards ceremony itself. He dehumanized her, reducing her to a mere object or prop intended to magnify his fame and fulfill his desire for attention, all at the expense of her dignity, which are more traits of NPD.
The Relationship Dynamic: The narcissist’s relationships eventually become devoid of any empathy or intimacy. In that moment, Censori was not regarded as a human being worthy of individuality and respect, but rather as an object to be exploited in service of his needs for superiority and illusions of grandeur. In fact, in a sickening rant on social media, West admits to having control over Censori saying, she needs ‘my approval’ and that he has dominion over her. Even more disturbing, in the same post he states their relationship isn’t “no woke as[s] feminist s–t,” he continues, “She’s with a billionaire. Why would she listen to any of you dumb ass broke bitches.” The message is crystal clear, she needs to listen to him. Clearly, this is characteristic of NPD.
What Happens When Narcissistic Behavior Goes Completely Unchecked?
So here we are today. We have full-blown narcissism on display. Many of us are horrified, some of us write blogs and try and educate, but most of the world simply looks on, either scratching their heads or chuckling at the circus.
Allowed to go unchecked, Censori and others like her continue their slow descent into misery.
In fact, after this stunt (and the lack of consequences for his actions), West then went on to post to social media excusing Sean Combs for brutally assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura. In a message underneath a photo of the assault, he stated, “You have to truly be in love to get to the point of risking everything.” As if extreme abuse was a form of love. He then used his website to sell the same hoodies she wore in the assault video.
And on February 10, 2025, that same website was stripped to only feature ONE product, a simple white t-shirt with a swastika on the front. Shopify took down the website within a day.
So, what happens when West’s narcissistic behavior goes completely unchecked? Innocent people continue to be victimized, brutalized, abused, tortured, and used, and then apparently he went on to glorify the atrocities of the Holocaust.
In short, when left unchecked, it becomes painfully obvious; there is NO bottom. A person who has NPD will sink to the lowest levels and continue their abuse in more and more creative and painful ways.
What Can We Do To Combat Public Displays of NPD?
We all collectively need to stop averting our eyes. We need to stop brushing off this behavior, and we need to continue calling it out.
And we can never stop.
We must continue to raise the red flags and we can never accept this behavior on any level. We must continue to educate, call out, amplify, and condemn this behavior.
If we remain silent, this behavior slowly creeps into existence, becoming normalized, acceptable, and standard.
How Do You Get Help Escaping a Partner Who Has Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
When you experience the initial love-bombing from a narcissist, you can very easily be duped by their charm. Falling in love with a narcissist is easy, but staying in love can be damaging, painful, and humiliating.
Recognizing and admitting that your partner is a narcissist is a significant turning point for you and from there you can progress into gathering the strength you need to leave.
And if you are thinking you can talk them into therapy – don’t bother. It is exceedingly rare for someone with NPD to agree to treatment for their condition and even more rare that they will be healed and become a healthy partner.
Instead, it is simply best for the victim to get help. Ending a relationship with a narcissist is incredibly difficult. If you are stuck in your relationship with a narcissist, a professional counselor or mental health professional can help you prepare and plan for a safe breakup.
Remember, recovering from a narcissistic relationship takes time. With time and help from a professional, healing is possible. If you believe you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship with a narcissist, we can help. We can work one-on-one with you to rebuild your self-worth, restore a self-care routine, and help you set personal boundaries to protect yourself. Contact us today … we will advocate for you. You are not alone.
If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance from trained advocates.
If you have suffered from Narcissistic Abuse, our new course Hope After Narcissistic Abuse may be helpful. Check it out here.
