Kim Kardashian Officially Files For Divorce From Kanye West After Nearly 7 Years Of Marriage
The reality star and rapper are officially calling it quits.
getty Even the most high-profile of celebrity relationships must come to an end. It’s especially painful to see a power couple go through rocky times, but we may have reached the end of an era here.
While the initial rumors of the couple splitting happened a few years ago, there are many more recent instances, such as West's strange, long rants on Twitter, his failed presidential bid, and his claims that his wife cheated with rappers Meek Mill and Drake, that may point to trouble in paradise and the ending of the A-listers' marriage.
After spending the holidays apart, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were reportedly done for good, as rumors that Kardashian allegedly hired infamous divorce attorney Laura Wasser in the midst of the divorce rumors made the rounds.
Now, TMZ confirms that Kim K. has officially filed for divorce from Kanye West after nearly seven years of marriage.
Why are Kim and Kanye divorcing?
First, let's back up a bit. Kim and Kanye have been friends for a long time but didn’t start dating until 2012, after his failed relationship with Amber Rose and Kim's short-lived marriage to Kris Humphries. They married in 2014, and have three kids together: North, Saint, and Chicago.
Would they really want to call it quits after having such beautiful children and getting together after years of missed opportunities?
Back in 2018, rumors started that the couple may not have been experiencing the happily-ever-after that everyone thought they were. And it was no wonder, considering West’s multiple outbursts and his controversial comments about slavery.
But their marriage issues may have actually started with a returning trip to Paris, where Kardashian was held hostage two years prior.
They traveled to see a show for designer Virgil Abloh in June 2018, but another one of West’s outbursts sent Kardashian over the edge. He apparently made a scene, leaping from his from-row seat into the arms of Abloh.
“Kim’s emotions were heightened ... Kim didn’t know what to do. Kanye acting up just added to her anxiety," a source revealed.
On top of that, back in April and May 2018, Kanye’s comments about slavery and his tweets about Donald Trump were an added stress for Kardashian.
His tweets even then had fans concerned about his mental health, with some even saying he had a mental breakdown, though it was later revealed that the rapper suffers from bipolar personality disorder.
Kardashian had defended him, saying that even though his ways of expressing himself were unorthodox, he was still entitled to his opinions and that people shouldn’t have automatically assumed there was something wrong with him.
But defending West may have been putting her at the end of her rope, and she had reportedly already told her family she was considering leaving him.
An insider said at the time, “It’s over. She’s realized he’s not the man she fell in love with. She called him out on his selfishness and how he doesn’t ever think of the repercussions it could have for her brands. All he cares about is his music and clothing line.”
Marriage is about being there for one another, and if one partner is only concerned about themselves, it can have major consequences.
But Kardashian is all too familiar with how complicated divorce can be, especially after her separation from ex-husband Kris Humphries in 2011.
The insider explained that she didn’t want to go through another divorce, but that, “even when they’re together they barely say two words to each other. Kanye is fine living like that, but Kim can’t stand it. She wants passion in her life again. She wants a husband who worships her for who she is, not someone who uses her as a mannequin to sell his clothes.”
Following his 2018 outburst in the TMZ studios, West suggested that his appearance may have fueled the fire for a split with Kardashian because in a 2018 interview, West admitted that his marriage may have been up in the air.
“There was a moment where I felt like after TMZ, maybe a week after that, I felt like the energy levels were low, and I called different family members and was asking, you know, ‘Was Kim thinking about leaving me after TMZ?’ So that was a real conversation,” he said.
It seems that Kim doesn’t want to be trapped in a toxic marriage like the one she’s in now.
“She sick of walking on eggshells,” a source said. But Kanye is also strong enough to be on his own. And it seems like she is too, because, according to an insider, “Kim’s ready to start over — without Kanye by her side.”
Fast forward to July 2020 and not only have the divorce rumors resurfaced, but they seem to be even stronger than they were before.
West recently went on a Twitter tirade, saying a bunch of things that have caused fans to question if the singer is okay.
The tweets, most of which are now deleted, were the ones he wrote about Kardashian.
In one tweet, West had claimed that Kardashian was trying to "lock him up" and equated his situation to the movie, Get Out. He also claimed — not on Twitter, but at a presidential rally in South Carolina — that he and Kardashian had talked about getting their first child, North West, aborted, a revelation that allegedly infuriated his wife.
He included Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, and her boyfriend, Corey Gamble, in his Twitter rant as well, saying that they were "not allowed" to be around his kids. He also accused Kardashian of cheating on him with both Meek Mill and Drake.
But what really caught everyone's eye was a tweet where West claimed that he had been trying to divorce Kardashian for almost two years.
Kardashian quickly took to her Instagram stories to defend her husband about his comments.
“As many of you know, Kanye has bipolar disorder. Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand.
I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health...
People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.
He is a brilliant but complicated person who, on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bipolar disorder.
Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words do not align with his intentions.”
Kardashian also thanked everyone who felt concern for West.
A source close to Kardashian revealed that the speculation about a divorce is just rumors, adding, “She is staying focused on helping him and his health right now. There’s no conversation about divorce.”
On Jan. 5, news of Kim Kardashian reportedly moving forward with the divorce started making the rounds.
Multiple sources revealed that "divorce is imminent," with one source adding, “They are keeping it low-key but they are done. Kim has hired Laura Wasser and they are in settlement talks.”
Laura Wasser is a famous divorce lawyer to the stars, and some of her past clients include Angelina Jolie, Ryan Reynolds, Britney Spears, and Kelly Clarkson — to name a few.
Another source close to the couple revealed that "Kim got Kanye to go up there [Wyoming] so they could live separate lives and quietly get things sorted out to separate and divorce," adding, "She’s done."
“She is serious about taking the bar exam and becoming a lawyer, she is serious about her prison reform campaign," the source added. "Meanwhile Kanye is talking about running for president and saying other crazy s***, and she’s just had enough of it.”
Yikes — we'll have to see how this story unfolds as new details come out.
On Feb. 19, 2020, multiple outlets confirmed that the reality star officially filed for divorce from Kanye.
The docs were filed by high-profile divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, but there isn't a date listed on the court docs.
According to TMZ, the split is "amicable," but Kim is asking for "joint legal and physical custody of the couple's four kids," and sources say that "Kanye is fine with the joint custody arrangement." The outlet was also told that the pair are committed to co-parenting their four children together.
"It's gotten to the point where they haven't spent time together as a married couple in months," a source close to the couple revealed. "They've seen each other for the sake of the kids but have been living separately. Kim knows the marriage is over. She's known for a while."
A source also dished on the reason why Kardashian held off on filing for quite some time.
"She wants to make sure she's making the right decision for the kids," the source said. "It's not about the marriage anymore, she'll always care for Kanye but it's over between them," added the source. "Kim is only focused on what's best for the kids. It's a tough decision for her and she's figuring it out."
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in July 2018 and was updated with the latest information.