American rapper SZA has shared that comedian Katt Williams referred to her as “mentally ill” while they were filming a new movie together.
In an interview with Kendrick Lamar for Harper’s Bazaar, SZA recounted the experience, explaining that, while such a remark about someone’s mental health could typically be seen as offensive, Williams intended it as a “compliment.”
“We shot a movie last night. I’ve never done that before, so I was really nervous. It’s a lot about being afraid to be myself. I’m either going to act like it never happened or skip the premiere,” she said.
“I met Katt Williams [on set]. He told me I was mentally ill, but in a complimentary way. He said, ‘Sa, I believe you might have some mental—’ and I responded, ‘Illness?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ Then he added, ‘Oh, welcome.’”
The film in question is an upcoming comedy featuring both SZA and Keke Palmer. The untitled movie, set for release in January, will showcase the chemistry they developed during their 2022 Saturday Night Live episode.
Issa Rae is producing the film, which also stars Katt Williams, Lil Rel Howery, Janelle James, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Maude Apatow, Joshua Neal, Aziza Scott, Patrick Cage, and Amin Joseph.
SZA has been open about her mental health challenges in her music, interviews, and social media. Last year, she took to X (formerly Twitter) to discuss her struggles with anxiety and fear of missing out (FOMO).
“No one teaches you how to enjoy your life; they teach you how to work for it, desire it, protect it, fight tooth and nail for it, pray for it, imagine it, manifest it… but how do you process all the things you’ve prayed for?” she questioned her followers.
“I get anxious posting about my life, then experience FOMO watching others post about their lives, leading to even more anxiety about the amount of material I have to share, followed by more FOMO from seeing amazing posts, and then back to experiencing more magical moments I can’t post.”
