Bhad Bhabie is trading the recording booth for the hospital ward — at least in part. On Sunday, October 11, the 23-year-old rapper, whose real name is Danielle Bregoli, took to X to share a surprising update with her millions of followers: she has been working toward getting her nursing license.
“They said I’m rich and bored,” she wrote alongside a series of mirror selfies in which she posed in black scrubs. “I been working on getting my nursing license. I love the med field.”
The announcement marks a major departure for someone who built her entire public identity on being a rebellious teen turned rap star. But Bhabie made it clear that her pivot into health care does not necessarily mean she has abandoned music. She has continued releasing new material, most recently dropping her latest single, “What U Like.”
For anyone who has followed Bhabie’s journey from internet meme to Billboard-charting artist, the news might feel like another chapter in a life that has already been anything but ordinary. She first shot to fame in 2016 as a 13-year-old troublemaker appearing on Dr. Phil. Her mother, Barbara Bregoli, had brought her on the show hoping to address what she described as severe behavioral problems. But instead of blending into the usual daytime talk show chaos, Danielle stole the spotlight with a single defiant line: “Catch me outside, how ’bout dat?” That phrase became a viral phenomenon, spawning countless memes, remixes, and merchandise — and turning a teenager from Florida into a household name practically overnight.
Rather than fading into internet history, Bhabie used her sudden fame as a launching pad for a rap career. She signed with Atlantic Records and released her debut single, “These Heaux,” in 2017. At the time, she made history by becoming the youngest female rapper to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She followed that success with a series of tracks that cemented her presence in the hip-hop world, including “Hi Bich” and “Gucci Flip Flops.” For a young artist who had initially been dismissed as a novelty act, those releases proved she had real staying power. She went on to build a substantial following on social media, later becoming one of the most successful creators on OnlyFans and earning millions through that platform.
But the years since have not been easy. In 2024, Bhabie found herself in the middle of another viral storm, this time involving Travis Barker’s daughter Alabama Barker. The conflict reportedly centered on Bhabie’s partner, Le Vaughn, with whom she shares her young daughter, Kali Love. Bhabie publicly accused Alabama, then 20, of pursuing Le Vaughn, who was 27 at the time. Alabama denied those accusations and claimed that it was actually Le Vaughn who had repeatedly reached out to her. The dispute quickly spilled into the music world with a string of diss tracks. Bhabie kicked things off with “Over Cooked,” Alabama responded with “Cry Bhabie,” and Bhabie fired back with “Ms. Whitman.” The back-and-forth captured the internet’s attention for weeks, though the feud eventually seemed to die down.
Around the same time, Bhabie was also dealing with serious health issues. In late 2024, she revealed that she was fighting blood cancer. The news sent shockwaves through her fanbase, and Bhabie later addressed some of the cruel commentary she faced about her appearance. In an Instagram post, she explained that her cancer medication had caused weight loss. “I’m sorry my cancer medication made me loose[sic] weight,” she wrote. “Im slowly gaining it back. So stop running w the worst narratives.” The message was a direct response to trolls who had speculated about her changing appearance, with some even claiming she was making up her diagnosis for attention.
Bhabie’s mother, Barbara, quickly came to her defense. In a 2024 Instagram video, Barbara pushed back against those who suggested her daughter was faking her illness or that the diagnosis was some kind of cosmic punishment. “Let me say this, social media has become an app where people think they can come on here and say the most vile things and think it’s funny because they’re hiding behind a screen,” she said. “That’s the lowest form of anything. Babies don’t ask to get cancer, little children don’t ask to get cancer, the elderly don’t ask to get — nobody asks to get cancer.” She also addressed those who called the illness “karma,” warning them not to speak so carelessly about something so serious. “Don’t come on here with your balls so mighty saying, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s your karma,’ because it just might be yours,” she added. “Don’t ever say something about someone unless you’ve experienced it. Let me tell you something, play with me every day. Don’t come after my kid. Don’t come after my family.”
After months of relative silence on the topic, Bhabie shared another health update in February 2025. In a short post on X, she revealed that she had received “bad news from my doctor yesterday.” That vague but worrying message prompted an outpouring of support from fans, many of whom wished her a speedy recovery and urged her to keep fighting. Bhabie responded with a message of faith, writing, “God has the last say so not my cancer💜.”
Now, with her latest announcement about pursuing a nursing license, Bhabie is clearly looking toward the future. Her interest in health care might seem unexpected for someone who rose to fame through rap and social media, but in many ways it makes sense. She has spent a significant amount of time as a patient herself, dealing with hospital visits, doctors, medication, and the emotional toll that comes with a serious diagnosis. That experience seems to have inspired a genuine desire to help others in similar situations. Her love for the medical field, as she put it, is likely rooted in something far deeper than just a career change.
While the transition is still underway, Bhabie appears determined to balance both of her worlds. She has continued to make music, with “What U Like” serving as proof that she hasn’t closed the door on her artistic side. At the same time, she is taking concrete steps toward an entirely different profession, one that requires education, dedication, and a completely different kind of skill set. It is a far cry from the image of a wild teen yelling catchphrases on Dr. Phil, but it’s also a reflection of how much she has grown in the nine years since that moment.
Bhabie’s fans have responded to the news with a mix of surprise and admiration. Some have pointed out that a nursing license would be an impressive achievement for anyone, let alone someone who has spent much of her adult life in the public eye and been dismissed by critics at every turn. Others have noted that she has always been unpredictable — just when people think they have her figured out, she does something completely unexpected. That unpredictability has kept her relevant in a culture that rarely allows former child stars to reinvent themselves successfully.
As she continues to navigate her health, her career, and her family life, one thing is certain: Bhabie is not content to simply rest on her past achievements. Whether she’s in the studio, on the internet, or studying for a nursing exam, she refuses to be boxed into a single label. Her journey from viral sensation to chart-topping rapper to prospective nurse is unusual, but it’s also entirely her own. And if anyone doubted her ability to pull off another major life change, she’s already proving them wrong.
