Bebe Rexha wants out of the “Khia asylum.” Here’s what that means
Pop star Bebe Rexha’s plea for fans to help her escape the “Khia asylum” prompted social media users to explain the "important lore." She followed up with a voice note that referenced how fellow pop stars Sabrina Carpenter, Zara Larsson, and Charli XCX all got out. Confused? We'll explain.
What Bebe Rexha posted
Bebe Rexha referenced the Khia asylum in a series of X posts from Jan. 10, 2026. Rexha shared a meme along with the comment, “Guys please help me. It’s so lonely in here.”
The “down and out” singer expressed she’s doing her best through crocodile tears, yet she still remains "locked up."
In a subsequent X post, Rexha was—crying?—in a voice note recorded “from the Khia asylum.” The melodramatic pop star joked, "It's hard here. They make us run on the treadmill everyday with the heels on. I’m barely eating. I’m doing vocal lessons all day, and I still suck—I’m still a fat bitch.”
Please help pic.twitter.com/W9OBeu4zLU
— Bebe Rexha (@BebeRexha) January 10, 2026
“I heard Sabrina got out. Zara, Charli, they never looked back, and my fat ass, flop ass is still in here.” The message cut out as Rexha let out a sob.
Wait, what is the Khia asylum?
The “Khia asylum" is a pop culture speak that encapsulates a pop artist’s “flop era,” or a period of waning relevancy after mainstream success.
The first half of the slang term refers to Khia, the rapper responsible for 2002’s runaway hit “My Neck, My Back.” When Khia failed to produce another banger, some labelled her a one-hit wonder.
The second half of the meme appends her name with “asylum,” a nonphysical space where celebrities are “sent” to wait out career lulls.
The “escape” alluded to in Rexha’s social media post occurs when a star finds their way back into the spotlight. It’s the comeback. It's the moment they break through.
Recently, pop artists Zara Larsson, Charli XCX, and Sabrina Carpenter referenced the meme publicly to joke about their “release” from the Khia asylum upon restoring public interest in their careers. So it's only fitting for someone still "trapped" to make the joke...right?
Fans reacted to Rexha’s calls from confinement
Plenty of Reddit users determined Rexha “is funny for this,” especially because it's not the first time she's used social media to her advantage. Others weighed in on Rexha’s potential "release."
“I literally have no idea what any of this means,” wrote u/Mintcreme7 on an r/fauxmoi thread about Rexha's posts.
“This is genuinely hilarious of her, I just wish she wouldn't go so hard on her weight,” replied u/Blu_Mxchi.
“She’s never getting out of the Khia Asylum. I don’t think Rita Ora or Jessie J will either,” wrote u/Treff_the_Cleric.
“Bebe Rehxa may someday be eligible for parole with good behavior…” wrote u/ferozliciosa.
According to u/JustRSA94, “People in the Khia asylum are not supposed to acknowledge that they're in the asylum.”
“Khia Asylum is basically a stan Twitter meme for a place where pop girlies go when they are in their flop era/not relevant to the culture,” explained u/Fuzzy_Move.
u/mynameisnotjamie added, “Don’t forget that it originated from Khia, the rapper, who had the one hit wonder 'My Neck My Back.' Not that she started it, but that’s who it was named after.”
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