Photo: Instagram / Hulu
He has a complicated relationship with the media.
By Taylor Haynes — Written on Nov 24, 2022
After stepping back from the spotlight in 2016, Rob Kardashian could be returning to our screens sooner than fans expected.
A post by the popular celebrity gossip account, DeuxMoi, revealed that Rob might be making a "return to the public eye."
An anonymous source told DeuxMoi, "There will be an exclusive podcast or Kardashians episode talking about what he's been through and what help he's been getting."
The alleged comeback comes after a source close to the luxury sock designer told E! News that Rob was “doing better than ever.”
What happened to Rob Kardashian?
Rob's public appearances and his role in "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" and his other reality TV spin-offs began to dwindle back in 2016 after his high-profile split from Blac Chyna but his mental health battle likely began much sooner.
Rob was open about his mental health battles while struggling to come to terms with his father's death.
Both on the show and in interviews, Rob discussed his difficulty with accepting his father's 2003 death.
In a 2020 panel with Dr. Sheila Nazarian for the Nazarian Institute’s ThinkBIG 2020 Conference, Kris Jenner said her son was still coming to terms with his grief.
“I don’t think he’s still gotten over it,” Jenner said.
“You don’t just get over something like that,” she explained. “You think you move on and heal and obviously life goes on, but it still is something that is really difficult to do.
Rob felt left out when his sisters got famous.
In a 2012 episode of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," the youngest of the Kardashian clan broke down in a family therapy session about how his sisters treat him.
"My anger, a lot of it stems from the work environment," said Rob. "They all kinda put this cloud on me like I'm a loser."
The therapist asked him what he said when people do that to him. He responded that he "never said anything" because he "[didn't] believe it".
Rob also revealed that whenever there is a "business opportunity" all Kris Jenner cares about are his sisters.
"Whenever I say I wanna open up a men's store--" Rob was then abruptly cut off by Kim, making him even more frustrated. The family therapy session sadly ended with Rob walking out of the room crying.
Rob Kardashian's public breakdown began with a 2012 outburst against Rita Ora.
After a brief relationship, Rob made several public jabs at the British singer, accusing him of cheating on her.
"Disgusted a woman could give up her body to more than 20 dudes in less than a year while trying to start a career," he wrote in a since-deleted tweet.
"She cheated on me with nearly 20 dudes while we were together I wonder how many she will sleep with now that we apart?"
Rob's weight gain and health issues pushed him out of the public eye.
Throughout the early 2010s, Rob began to gain weight which led to him struggling with his body image and mental health.
In a 2016 interview with People magazine, he revealed that his weight gain even prevented him from attending Kim's 2014 wedding to Kanye West.
"I was doing my suit fittings in Paris right before the wedding and I just wasn’t comfortable,"
"There were cameras at the airport on our trip there and I was very unhappy with the person I saw in all the pictures. I’m 6’1″ and at my most I probably weighed 300 lbs," said Rob. "I’m upset I missed my sister’s wedding, but it was a personal decision.”
In a 2014 episode of "KUWTK," Rob broke down while getting changed in a doctor's office due to his insecurities about his weight — this was the beginning of his retreat from the public eye.
In 2015, the California native was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, then was hospitalized the year after for not taking his insulin.
Rob's tumultuous relationship with Blac Chyna would be the catalyst for him quitting his show.
Rob began dating Blac Chyna, a former friend of Kim's and an ex-girlfriend of Kylie Jenner's boyfriend at the time, Tyga.
However, their relationship was not built to last and their ups and downs quickly became a central plotline in his family's reality show and his own spin-off, "Rob & Chyna."
In November 2016, the couple welcomed their daughter, Dream Renee Kardashian. By March 2017, the two had a very public breakup involving abuse allegations from both sides.
In June of that same year, Rob allegedly posted nude photos of his ex-fiance, landing him a lawsuit.
The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2022.
Rob has rarely been seen since 2017.
The star appears infrequently in his siblings' Instagram posts and is no longer featured on his family's show.
According to a 2019 article, the last time that Rob was seen publicly was on June 18, 2017. A family source revealed to RadarOnline.com that “No one ever sees him,” and that he “just hangs out at his house all the time.”
He did, however, briefly appear in the final season of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians."
When asked about his decision to stay out of the limelight in 2021, Khloe Kardashian said he felt used by women in his life.
"I know Rob is feeling really good about himself right now and he's working really hard on himself," she added.
Rob has been focused on raising his daughter, Dream.
In 2022, a source told PEOPLE "ahead of the trial that Rob 'tries to ignore any drama with Blac Chyna' and is 'focused on being a great dad' to Dream."
"Rob's family really loves her," the insider added. "Rob spends a lot of time with Dream. She brings him a lot of joy. She is in preschool and doing great."
Taylor Haynes is a writer based in Chicago. She writes for Entertainment & News at YourTango. You can find her on Instagram here.