What did Nina Simone suffer from?

Eunice Kathleen Waymon, known professionally as Nina Simone, was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop.

Nina Simone was born on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, United States, and died in her sleep on April 21, 2003, in Carry-le-Rouet, France. Before Nina Simone died she was struggling with bipolar disorder.

What did Nina Simone suffer from?

According to several reports, Simone was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the late 1980s. She was known for her temper and outbursts of aggression. In 1985, Simone fired a gun at a record company executive, whom she accused of stealing royalties. Simone said she “tried to kill him” but “missed.

Her treatment plan was kept out of public sight until after her death in 2004. She was arrested for shooting her neighbor’s son in 1995 while she was living in France. She was later sentenced to eight months in jail, which was suspended pending a psychiatric evaluation and treatment.

After her death, the medication was confirmed as the anti-psychotic Trilafon, which Simone’s friends and caretakers sometimes surreptitiously mixed into her food when she refused to follow her treatment plan.