3. Nina suffered from mental illness, and wasn’t diagnosed until the 1980s
Like many other talented people, Nina suffered from bipolar disorder. This explains much of her erratic behavior onstage and her treatment of Lisa, but sadly she was not diagnosed until the mid-1980s. She also likely had PTSD from her abusive second marriage. Nina lived for years with these conditions, completely un-medicated and untreated, and it was only after her death in 2003 that they came to light. Her fits of anger were misogynistic ally ascribed to her being a ‘diva’ during her life, but it is sad to note that many of Nina’s symptoms still define what makes a diva today.
