Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s relationship, once highly celebrated in the entertainment world, ultimately ended in divorce after six years of marriage. The couple, who share four children — North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm — finalized their divorce settlement on November 29, 2022, following Kim’s initial filing on February 19, 2021.
Their relationship’s unraveling was gradual and often played out, at least partially, in the public eye, particularly on their family’s reality shows.
On an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians that aired in June 2021, Kim opened up about her personal struggles within the marriage.
Khloé Kardashian revealed that Kim had been struggling off-camera for a long time, battling feelings of frustration, sadness, and anger over her failing relationship.
In emotional unaired footage from the show, Kim tearfully confessed to her sisters that she felt “stuck” in her marriage.
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She expressed the difficulty of keeping their family unit together while Kanye frequently moved to different states, including his well-known move to Wyoming.
While Kim acknowledged Kanye as an amazing father, she admitted that she could no longer continue following him everywhere, sacrificing her own stability for the sake of their relationship.
Feeling like a failure due to the collapse of her third marriage — following her previous marriages to Damon Thomas and Kris Humphries — Kim spoke candidly about her deep sense of disappointment.
She said she felt like a “loser” but emphasized her desire for happiness, declaring that she deserved to live a fulfilling life.
By the KUWTK season finale on June 10, 2021, Kim further explained that turning 40 was a pivotal moment of self-realization. She no longer wanted a marriage where her husband lived in a different state.
Despite briefly thinking that distance improved their relationship, Kim realized that such a dynamic was not sustainable or what she truly wanted.
She longed for a partner with shared interests — someone who would enjoy simple daily activities like watching TV shows together or working out as a couple.
Ultimately, Kim expressed that her main goal was to be genuinely happy, saying she didn’t come this far in life to stop short of achieving that.
Kim elaborated on her journey of self-prioritization during her March 2022 Vogue cover interview. She reflected on how, for so long, she had done what made others happy.
However, in the two years leading up to her divorce, she shifted focus toward making herself happy, even if it meant making difficult decisions like ending her marriage.
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Kim explained that choosing herself was essential, and she embraced a new mindset for her 40s — prioritizing her well-being, spending quality time with her children, working out, having fun, and even curating her social media environment by “posting and ghosting.”
Their post-divorce relationship, however, became increasingly strained, especially as Kanye publicly targeted Kim and her family on social media.
In a June 2023 episode of The Kardashians on Hulu, Kim confided in her mother, Kris Jenner, about the lasting impact of their split and Kanye’s ongoing behavior.
She expressed feeling trapped in a narrative that seemed endless, acknowledging that she would always protect their children from the full truth of what transpired. Despite everything, Kim felt a sense of responsibility to shield their kids from the chaos.
Kim also admitted that during their relationship, she often found herself running interference, calling people behind Kanye’s back to apologize and assure them things would get better.
She was exhausted from always being the “cleanup crew” for Kanye’s actions. Over time, Kim realized that she no longer had the energy for that role.
In a vulnerable confession, she shared the pain of watching someone she once deeply loved change into someone unrecognizable.
Kim and Kanye’s romance began in spring 2012, leading to a grand proposal on Kim’s 33rd birthday at San Francisco’s AT&T Park (now Oracle Park) and culminating in their lavish Italian wedding in May 2014.
Initially described as amicable, Kim’s divorce filing requested joint legal and physical custody of their children.
However, as time passed, their relationship became more contentious, particularly due to Kanye’s public outbursts.
Since their split, Kanye has reportedly married Bianca Censori, while Kim has been romantically linked to NFL star Odell Beckham Jr.
The once power couple’s story is now one of heartbreak, self-discovery, and the complex challenges of co-parenting in the public eye.
Kim’s narrative is ultimately about choosing personal happiness, setting boundaries, and finding strength in moving forward from a relationship that no longer served her.
