Former Dancehall Queen Winner ‘Kiki’ Battling Mental Health Issues
Following reports that International Dancehall Queen winner Keisha ‘Kiki’ Rodney was seen walking the streets of Montego Bay naked, her sister, Tanya Rodney, has cleared up misconceptions about Kiki’s current situation.
Speaking to the Jamaica Star, Rodney first set the record straight that her sister is not on drugs but actually suffers from mental illness.
Kiki won the International Dancehall Queen title at just 20-years-old back in 2015. The competition was held at the Pier One Complex in Montego Bay and she beat out 36 other competitors from all over the world to gain the title. At that time she said she felt blessed to be crowned.
Tanya told the STAR 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.
“Kiki has been sick. She has mental health problems. She went missing two weeks ago. We had sent out to persons all around and they were on alert looking for her. But I was still shocked when somebody sent me the video of her naked and it hurt mi heart to know that instead of tek piece of clothes and throw pon her, dem a video her in the nude and put her all over social media. Come on man, at least cover her up and then do your video,” she said.
She received the video herself and that’s how she was able to track down Kiki. She then enlisted the help of a family friend.
“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,” she added.
When the friend eventually found her, he called the police, she continued. “So he didn’t alert her, he called the police and they in turn called the health people and they took her to the hospital,” she said. Kiki’s mental health issues began in 2018 but her sister admitted that many people did not know about her situation.
The former dancehall Queen who is now 26-years-old has gone missing before but never for such a prolonged period of time.
“Only people who close to her would know, but I guess everybody knows now. She has gone missing before, but for like a couple hours, or one day at the most. She was on track and then in January, we noticed a change, but we were asking if she needed help,” she said.
She added that some of her woes were due to her own stubbornness as well. “I guess you could say that she’s a bit stubborn. I am glad that she is somewhere where she is getting help. At the hospital, she is being evaluated and will be assessed by psychiatrists before she is discharged,” she added.