Strong, but at what cost? What Gucci Mane's wife teaches us about caregiving and the strong Black woman trap

Rapper Gucci Mane and his wife Keyshia Ka’oir sat down last week in the New York studios of the syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club to talk candidly about how they have navigated serious mental illness in their marriage.

- By GINA SISSOKO, PHD

Gucci discussed his new memoir, “Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Mad Man,” which details his experiences living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. His openness and vulnerability were widely praised — but much of the public's attention also turned to Keyshia, who described the daily, often invisible labor of supporting him: monitoring warning signs like changes in sleep or texting patterns, removing social media apps, and helping to ensure he received psychiatric care. Across social media, she was celebrated as a model spouse caring for a celebrity partner living with serious mental illness.

Although I was proud to see mental health discussed so openly, as a licensed clinical psychologist who focuses on the mental health of Black women and girls, I could not help but notice a few warning signs that others might have missed. Where the public may see a story of marital success, I see a Black woman carrying invisible and relentless responsibilities that are too often mistaken for strength.

I want to affirm that multiple truths can exist at once. Gucci deserves a partner who supports him, and he appears to have found a loving, resilient one who understands mental illness and takes an active role in his healing. At the same time, Black women often shoulder an incredible amount of invisible caregiving labor, which carries serious consequences for their own health.