Kim Kardashian West has spoken out in defence of her husband Kanye West, following his recent Twitter rants against her.

The 43-year-old rapper - who has bipolar disorder - has launched two Twitter tirades this week in which he insisted he has been trying to divorce Kim for two years and accused her of ''trying to lock him up'', after he confessed to wanting to abort their first child together whilst at a presidential campaign rally over the weekend.

Kim has now broken her silence on the situation, and whilst she didn't address his allegations against her, she spoke in detail about his battle with bipolar and the way it has ''affected them at home''.

She wrote on social media: ''As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder. Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand. I've never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye's right to privacy when it comes to his health.

''But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health. Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor. People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.''

The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star described Kanye as a ''brilliant but complicated person'', and said his bipolar disorder has heightened the ''pressure and isolation'' he already feels as a public figure.

She added: ''I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions. He is a brilliant but complicated person who, on top of the pressures of being an artist and a Black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bi-polar disorder.''

And Kim - who has North, seven, Saint, four, Chicago, two, and Psalm, 14 months, with the 'Heartless' rapper - urged people to ''give grace'' to Kanye, whilst also thanking those who have ''expressed concern'' for his wellbeing.

The 39-year-old star wrote: Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions. Living with bi-polar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas, no matter how big or unobtainable they may feel to some. That is part of his genius and as we have all witnessed, many of his big dreams have come true. We as a society talk about giving grace to the issue of mental health as a whole, however we should also give it to the individuals who are living with it in times when they need it the most.''