Dancehall

Dancehall Queen Kiki Battling Mental Illness Says Family Amid Viral Video

Family of Keisha ‘Kiki’ Rodney, a former Dancehall Queen, has confirmed she’s has been dealing with mental health problems.

The internet recently became a buzz after a young woman was spotted walking naked in downtown Montego Bay. The female in the viral video has now been identified as 26-year-old former International Dancehall Queen winner Keisha ‘Kiki’ Rodney. Kiki won the competition held at the Pier One Complex in Montego Bay against 36 other competitors from all over the world to gain the title at just 20-years-old back in 2015.

In an interview with The Star, her sister Tanya highlighted that she and her family were relieved that Kiki had been admitted to the hospital where she is getting the care that is needed for her situation. She added that she was very disappointed that no one tried to help her sister but instead made videos and shared them on social media without bothering to learn the entirety of the situation. She also said that Kiki went missing and that her family launched a massive effort to try and find her. After the video of her strolling through the streets of Montego Bay surfaced, she and a friend made their way to the second city.

“It was in the evening and he drove all around and people were telling him that them see her at various places, but he didn’t find her. The following morning, he started the search again and somebody told him that she was at a guest house sleeping,” said the dancer’s sister.

Rumored to be on drugs, her sister Tanya Rodney has cleared up all misguided information about Kiki’s current situation. Kiki’s mental health issues began in 2018, but her sister admitted that many people did not know what was going on. Kiki has now been apprehended, thanks to the extensive efforts of a friend. The popular dancer is now in an institution and will be assessed by psychiatrists before she is discharged.

Mental health has been pushed aside as something comedic in Jamaica. On numerous occasions, a person who is suffering is simply regarded as a “madman or madwoman” and is offered little to no assistance.