TikToker Uncle Chris, who checked himself into a mental-health facility in July, says he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder

• Chris Rooney, best known as Uncle Chris on TikTok, shared a life update with his fans on Wednesday.
• He said he had been diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder after checking himself into a facility.

The TikToker who recently went missing after watching the child-sex-trafficking movie "Sound of Freedom" shared a life update with his followers, saying he had been diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder.

Rooney, better known as Uncle Chris, is a creator on TikTok best known for his videos with his young niece and nephew. The account, Yeet Baby, has 5.7 million followers, and was set up in January 2020.

Rooney, his niece Marleigh, and his nephew Jack quickly charmed the internet by making a mess while trying to pour juice, soda, and other drinks. One of the most popular videos, in which the children pour chocolate milk all over the table and themselves, has been viewed over 87 million times.

Rooney shared an update with his 263,000 Instagram followers on Wednesday, saying he wanted to give them a "life update."

"Let me just kick the door off by saying they diagnosed me with bipolar type 1," he said. "That basically means I have manic episodes. I have been medicated for about a month and a half. So the craziness you've been seeing lately — that's just me, baby. I've been like that for a long time."

Rooney went missing in July after watching the child-sex-trafficking movie "Sound of Freedom," his family said in an Instagram a few days later. They said he had been struggling mentally ever since, and had checked himself into a mental-health facility.

"Sound of Freedom" is about a Homeland Security agent who saves children from sex trafficking. It was a box-office hit, bringing in $90 million in its first two weeks after opening on July 4, but has been mired in controversy.

The film has been accused of fuelings conspiracy theories and misrepresenting the issue of sex trafficking. Its star, Jim Caviezel, is also a QAnon supporter, and Tim Ballard, the man who inspired the main character, was recently accused of sexual misconduct by seven women.

The August 3 statement said Rooney was "sick to his core" after watching the movie and hadn't been "himself" while posting links about raising funds for it.

That statement also included a message from Rooney at the end, who said he was thankful for the support.

"Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do to help me," he said. "It is something that I have to work on and am going to make it my life's mission to not only get myself healthy but also others."

He was released after 17 days, Rooney later said in an update. He said his mom picked him up, and he was "very glad" he got the help he needed.

In Rooney's most recent post, he said he was studying for an undergraduate degree in psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and was also in an out-patient program 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. five days a week.

"That's been a little rough," he said. "I hate sitting for that long but it's been good. It helps me."

Rooney said he had been getting questions from viewers about when he was going to make more Yeet Baby content. He said that he was so busy right now that he didn't have time.

"It's not over, it's just kind of, you know, everyone's very busy," he said. "I still see the children, I just haven't been filming videos."

He asked for some recommendations for what he could do with his time when the program ended in three weeks. He said he had been looking into joining the Marine Corps, or being an Amazon driver, among other things.

"I need structure in my life or else I self-destruct," he said.

Rooney also shared a message for his followers in the caption, telling them, "If you're suffering from mental illness never be afraid to seek help!"