Kim Kardashian telegraphed this for two months: she filed for divorce from Kanye West, and the news came out on Friday, February 19th. I thought for a while that Kim wanted Kanye to file, and maybe she did, but in the end she was the one who formally pulled the plug. TMZ broke the news, but then People Magazine ran a series of exclusives about what Kim’s thinking and how Kanye feels.
Kim Kardashian has filed to divorce Kanye West after almost 7 years of marriage, but our sources say it’s as amicable as a divorce can be. Kim is asking for joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s 4 kids. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Kanye is fine with the joint custody arrangement, and we’re told both Kim and Ye are committed to co-parenting together.
There’s a prenup and we’re told neither party is contesting it. In fact, our sources say they are already far along in reaching a property settlement agreement. The docs, filed by disso queen Laura Wasser, don’t list a date of separation … it’s listed as to be determined. The date is almost irrelevant because their split has been so well-chronicled in the news and social media.
It was during the last half of 2020 when things got super rocky for Kimye … West launched his Presidential campaign on July 4 and weeks later held a bizarre campaign event in South Carolina. At one point, a sobbing Kanye told a story of a discussion he had with Kim … talking about abortion when she was pregnant with their first child. It wasn’t long after that when Kanye took a series of shots at the Kardashian/Jenner family on Twitter, at one point referring to the matriarch, Kris Jenner, as “Kris Jong-Un.”
Multiple sources with direct knowledge told us Kim was ready to call it quits after Kanye’s outbursts, if not for Kanye going through a serious bipolar episode. She had felt it would be cruel to end the marriage when he wasn’t doing well. Things got so rocky, the couple had been living separately for a few months. He was spending a lot of his time in Wyoming while she was in Calabasas with the kids. The issue? We were told it wasn’t contentious or ugly … but their differences in lifestyle and politics were chief, among others.
I think Kim seriously considered divorcing Kanye back in the end of 2016 and early 2017. Reportedly, she consulted with lawyers then and she weighed her options. In the end, she chose to let Kanye be Kanye and she just stayed in LA with the kids, while he was mostly in Wyoming. They lived completely separate lives as early as one year ago. I assumed, last year, that Kim didn’t file for divorce from Kanye during his manic episode because of what TMZ says – she didn’t want to look bad, and she didn’t want to do more damage or leave Kanye when he was in such a bad place.
People Magazine also reported that everything is amicable so far, that they’ve been in agreement with their prenup terms and property division and joint custody. They’re apparently close to a settlement and I seriously doubt Kim will take him to the cleaners or vice versa. They’ve kept their finances separate this whole time except for their real estate. A source told People: “They are just not on the same page when it comes to their future as a family. And Kim is okay with it.” As for the joint custody, there is one caveat, and TMZ had some very curious wording around it:
Kanye West’s mental health issues will not have an impact on Kim Kardashian’s move to share custody of their 4 kids, because there’s always been a safety net in place and that won’t change. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Kim totally trusts Kanye with their kids. That said … given their lifestyle, he’s rarely alone with them. In good times and bad, there are almost always caretakers or family members around the children.
While the majority of time is spent with help … our sources say Kanye’s a great dad, and over the last few months even made a couple trips with just him and some of the kids … no additional assistance. Our sources say Kanye’s generally not around the kids when he’s having a bipolar episode. Kim is asking for joint legal and physical custody, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s a 50/50 split. Joint custody can be whatever the parents agree to, and historically, Kim cares for the children the lion’s share of the time and that’s not expected to change. Kim feels Kanye is a great dad, and Kanye knows Kim’s a great mom as well.
Very interesting, right? Kim stresses that he’s a good father, that she trusts him with the kids, but for a while now, she’s had third parties around when Kanye is with the kids, so… it’s not like she actually trusts him to be alone with the kids for any significant amount of time. It will be curious to see how that plays out in the future.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Calling it: Her next boyfriend will be a producer/businessman of some kind.
Maybe a Judge or Lawyer, Kim is going for brains now.
Sincerely asking, why would someone with brains want to be with her?
Lots of men with brains have uneducated dumb girlfriends/wives. It makes them feel superior and like they can teach them something. Smart women intimidate them and their egos don’t like that.
Nah – I think her next husband will be a politician or aspiring politician. She got a taste of politics when Trump was in office and wants more.
I’m sure whoever he is, he’s already lined up.
Word is Kanye moved on several times over. Why is it always to criticize the woman’s romantic life and leave the man’s romantic life alone without judgement?
I’ve been hearing Van Jones as a candidate for months.
It would make sense – they both like to pretend they are liberals but at the same time have no problem being right wing suck ups when it suits them (see previous president).
Plus, if she’s with someone on CNN, she can pretend that she’s super serious by association. I’m sure he’d love to tell everyone how great a lawyer she’s going to be one day, sometime soon, at some point, when she’s done with stuff.
I’m amazed no one is commenting on the “hedging” language that he’s “almost always” not alone w/those kids — when he’s in a bipolar episode.
Almost? Bipolar isn’t just up and down, it’s also PARANOID at times. Which is scary.
And also there are bipolar people who are very good parents.
Bipolar people have a mental illness; they’re not monsters. Prejudice like yours and the uneducated concern trolling that come with it are why people with mental illness are afraid to speak up.
Agreed. I have a couple of friends with bipolar and they’re fine parents. It would be better to say “untreated bipolar” is the issue with Kanye. He refuses to take his meds or listen to his doctors. Not everyone with bipolar is a narcissistic moron like Kanye. But Kanye has so many issues at play I hope Kim has a plan.
That’s why I think this is more than “the kids have nannies.” No. These kids have big burly bodyguards that have permission to do… a lot to keep them safe. After the robbery, and add in the bipolar, unpredictable father, I’d do the same.
Good for them, I guess. I wish Kanye the best of health.
Kim will certainly make sure their kids are taken care of and protected in between her obligatory bouts of Kimyeing.
I imagine the Kardshian media hungry vultures weren’t the best for his mental health.
Wasn’t this always ‘an arrangement’? I’ve always thought they lived totally separate lives and Kim got what she wanted out of it: 4 kids.
I think she mainly wanted his star power.
Amando
He also wanted her star power.
When they dated people wondered why Kanye would go for her and this family in a serious way and it was because he got a major boost from it.
The publicity was HUGE for his designer line and he knew it.
Don’t act like she played him. They both grew by tens of millions in this marriage.
They both benefitted………Kanye gave Kim credibility (couldn’t find a better word). There is no way, she would have been on the cover of Vogue or invited to the MET gala without him (I can assure you even though you “technically” pay for the MET gala, getting an invite is not as trivial as one would think); her family benefitted immensely as well
Kanye also got his fair share of publicity from their relationship; at some point, he was basically her stylist and having her wear his clothes was tremendous for his many designer lines.
They got 4 beautiful kids (they do make beautiful kids!) out of it; so it was a win win for both.
All the best to the kids!
Vs
I think it’s notoriety instead of credibility?
Regarding each other’s circles. Which they both wanted into. And the 2 combined made big news.
I don’t follow them but is this being received in the press in a low key way? It seems after his bipolar episodes last year and him running for president/election spoiler, people kind of knew it was over. It seemed there was more reaction to her private island birthday party, but again, I don’t generally follow them. Saw a few jokes on Twitter that he’ll probably put out a good album now.
I think it’s getting low key coverage because most people really don’t care that much.
This^. Kim did the Friday afternoon news alert that legit celebs do. And then kept releasing nonstop updates about how sad Kayne is and how amazing Kim is… and the news just don’t give AF.
I mean, we all have bigger problems to care about, right?
As the saying goes:
“Kim, there’s people that are dying “
Kim to North: Baby the marriage went South!
sidenote- I wish good health to Kanye too but those Kris-Jong Un tweets will never not be funny.
Kris exploiting her daughters is the rare thing I actually agreed with Kanye on. He’s made far worse comments, like about slavery being a choice…
I think it’s taken so long because she wanted him to sign some exhaustive NDA’s.
Highly doubt that. The Kardashians know Kanye enough to know he wouldn’t go along with an NDA, he may agree and sign one but he’s unpredictable.
He is unpredictable and I think that’s why it took so long.
Finally. Now, I’m calling it: Kanye will continue not to spend any significant amount of time with his kids, and in 20 years one of them will narc on him being a deadbeat, my money’s on North spilling the beans
North, as the oldest, will likely have the most complex and fraught relationship with him. She may have memories of him being somewhat more stable. I’m guessing one of the younger ones (Chi, probably) because he’s already been unstable for most of their lives and they won’t have the same longing for a time when he was just eccentric.
I’ve been meaning to ask this for ages, what does ‘disso queen’ mean? I always see Laura Wasser referred to like this and have never understood. Is it an American thing?
It’s a play on words, a pun on the phrase “disco queen.” Disso is short for dissolution, as in dissolution of the marriage.
Yeah, Wasser if the divorce lawyer to the stars, so she comes by the name…honestly.
Kanye has appeared to have come down from his manic episodes and I think that’s the best reason to explain the timing.
This sounds amicable and she’s trying to keep the kids in his life and vice versa. But! She’s comfortable with this because there’s always people around? Sounds like he’s got a long road ahead of him.
I can’t imagine Kanye changing diapers and making mac & cheese and doing the kids hair. I don’t think either of them is ever nanny-free.
Right but I hope there are nannies around both households – would you leave your kids alone with Kim, either? Am I missing something? She seems like a complete narcissist
I don’t know how it works when both are extremely wealthy but I can’t imagine that Kim could get a lot of Kanye’s money. I kind feel like the divorce isn’t going to be as scandalous as people think.
I don’t think the family or Kanye is as rich as they make out. If they are, Uncle Sam will be after them soon because their entire lifestyle is not maintainable forever. Look for a lot of financial secrets to leak with this divorce. The Kardashs and West owe a lot of people. It will be interesting to see what assets are joined and what is not. That will tell us how true this marriage really was.
FWIW, “timeshare” is the term my lawyer and I use in discussing where the child(ren) spend their time.
Hopefully it’s a smooth divorce for the kids. I don’t think anyone believes that Kanye is ever responsible for four young kids without a team of nannies. I also think Kim almost left him a few years ago but decided to have more kids with him instead and play the long game. No one actually thought this marriage was going to stand the test of time and I think bringing more kids into it when it was obviously on the rocks wasn’t a great move but they have enough money and resources to give their kids the best therapists and education so I hope they will be fine.
Sure resources and therapy will help, but nothing can replace having one (or two) stable loving parents. And the love of a narcissistic parent is not the love I am talking about.
Theyre both kind of messy but i haven’t seen anything that makes me think they’re not loving parents(especially compared to some of the other K’s deadbeat dads like Scott and Tristan). I think they’ll probably do a good job of keeping the mess away from their kids until they’re old enough to search the internet and then they’ll just have to deal with the rest from there.
You need to understand narcissistic parenting.
I hope he gets the help he needs for his condition. Being bipolar is hell and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I hope she actually takes a step back and reevaluates what she wants in life. Most of all I hope their children are happy, healthy and safe.
They were only married for seven years? It seems like we’ve been reading about those two forever. Anyway I wish the best for the kids and that they are able to have a real childhood and not be starring in their own reality shows at ten and twelve.
I lost all respect for Laura Wasser after her mishandling Angelina’s divorce. She’s a brilliant lawyer, but she leaks too much stuff to the press.
I’m so suss on her, she was defo in with the opposition.
Also why would you want a “celebrity” lawyer for such a personal and traumatic issue? Very strange to me, she loves the limelight a lot
I’ve worked for law firms that specialize in high income/ high profile clients. I’m not saying Wasser is the only one to go to, but people like Kim and Kanye definitely need someone who is familiar with their lifestyle/ level of finances. It’s a specialty and a lawyer who doesn’t understand could put someone at risk.
They lasted longer than anyone thought they would. Kudos to them for being able to split relatively amicably.
Yes that’s true, I was impressed she was able to get 4 kids out of it
Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see this trending on Twitter when the news broke. Does this mean the reign of the Kardashians has finally ended and people have moved on from this family? Or did everyone see this coming so it’s not really breaking news?
It’s old news and everyone saw it coming.
My take lately is that the kardashians/jenners are playing it smart and taking a step back from tv since their side hustles have made a few of them legit billionaires.
It’s been thoroughly discussed and documented that none of them are legit billionaires. Even Forbes has to mea culpa that one.
I think they really, really wanted HIM to file for divorce so it could fit in with the Kim as martyr narrative they’ve been pushing for months, but they realized that people were losing interest and they need to have something compelling for the final season, so they got him to sign something that said that if she files, he’s not going to run to the nearest tabloid to spill his guts with all of their secrets in retaliation. They probably offered to fund some project of his too.
Nothing is ever going to be normal with this family since everything is fodder for their show.
This
These kids are being raised with really weird ideas about their race and ethnic heritage. It’s icky. Team kids.
??? Their mother is Armenian and Italian. Their father is a Black American. I imagine they will have respect for their heritage. Kim fought to have the Armenian genocide recognized which is pretty awesome. Kanye has always been a strong Black voice.
Kanye says slavery is a choice.
Kris Jenner is Italian?
Yes!
Excepting, of course, the cultural appropriation the K family constantly engages in, and Kanye’s slavery-trump support-horrid ness.
But sure, Nicole, it’ll be great.
Nicole lol whut??
At least they’re not dragging it out and turning it into some big legal battle. Hopefully it’s smooth for the kids.
I noticed that it said the kids have taken several trips with just him recently, I cannot get over how often these people are traveling during a pandemic!
I imagine they’ll sleep together more now that it’s cheating again.
lol
She didn’t leave in 16/17 bc she wanted another baby. Speaking of, who gets the embryos? I wonder if that was in the prenup
Why would she take him to the cleaners-she’s probably worth more than he is now.
Gawd…who still cares about this degenerate family?
So 2020…..
He so desperately wanted her. Let’s hope he’ll do better mentally after the divorce.
Zero shade from me towards Kim in this. Zero.
I am no fan of the Kartrashians, but dealing with Kanye must have been hell.
I agree that this is likely much farther along than we realise and it will be wrapped up in a matter of a few months. I think Kim waited to file until most details were hammered out and Kanye was in a better place.
I’m always amazed at the number of people who come on to comment along the lines of “ugh. Who CARES about these people!? Can’t we stop talking about them???!?!?!?”
I mean… you don’t HAVE to click on the article…