A 72-day marriage, a Las Vegas wedding aged 19, a sex tape and a failed engagement: A look back at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s past rollercoaster romances
- Reports have claimed that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s marriage is close to being over after six years
- ‘They are keeping it low-key but they are done,’ a source has claimed to PageSix
- DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for the couple who have been unavailable for comment
- Kanye, 43, was absent for all the Kardashian family holiday photos in recent weeks
- Last month it was claimed the couple were together ‘but living separate lives’
- It came after a particularly turbulent year for the power couple and Kanye’s failed bid to be US president
- Kim has not been seen wearing her $1.3million engagement ring in recent weeks
- It has been claimed that Kim has hired superstar lawyer Laura Wasser, who is the managing partner at the Family Law firm Cooperman & Mandles, and the Founder and CEO of the online divorce service, It’s Over Easy
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were the ultimate Hollywood power couple but are now said to be headed for divorce court following six years of marriage and four children.
As fans around the world reel in shock over the ‘end of Kimye’, MailOnline takes a look at the couple’s history of rollercoaster romances.
Between them, Kim and Kanye have dated a variety of famous faces – which includes twice-married Kim’s 72 day union with Kris Humphries, her liaison with Ray-J which culminated in her shooting to worldwide fame with their sex tape, and her first marriage aged just 19 to a man 10 years her senior.
Kanye has had his own chequered romantic past, including a failed engagement to model Alexis Phifer in 2006 and a two-year romance with Amber Rose, who he has branded a ‘stripper’ in the years since.
Over and out: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were the ultimate Hollywood power couple but are now said to be headed for divorce court following six years of marriage and four children – Mailonline looks back at their rollercoaster romances…
KIM’S RELATIONSHIP HISTORY
DAMON THOMAS: 2000-2004
Kim was a fresh-faced 19-year-old and years from worldwide fame when she eloped with music producer Damon Thomas, 29, for a Las Vegas wedding. They split three years later.
First marriage: Kim wed music producer Damon Thomas in 2004 (pictured 2009)
She later claimed the music producer repeatedly beat her and demanded to know where she was at every minute of the day – in the couple’s divorce papers, which were filed at Los Angeles Superior Court back in 2003.
According to the documents, Thomas would punch her in the face, slam her against walls and throw her across the room, leaving her bruised and battered – he has always staunchly denied domestic violence.
His alleged bullying was so terrible he gave her $3,650 to get liposuction because he wanted her to be ‘perfect’ – then gave her an additional $1,000 for further surgery.
At the time of their quickie Vegas wedding she was working as a sales girl at a Los Angeles shop called Body, but her new husband soon made her quit the job.
Their marriage was officially dissolved in February 2004 and Thomas was ordered to give Kim a one-off payment of $56,000.
Kim later alleged that she was on ecstasy when she married Damon during a 2018 episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
RAY J NORWOOD: 2005-2007
One of the defining moments that brought Kim into the public was the leak of a sex tape between her and rapper boyfriend Ray-J -shot in 2002 and entitled Kim Kardashian Superstar.
Sex tape: Kim’s sexual exploits with Ray-J were leaked in 2007 – with the couple going their separate ways
The tape was leaked in 2007 escalating her fame to exponential heights.
While chatting with Oprah in 2012, Kim explained that she was ‘humiliated’ but has since embraced the tape.
‘I’m aware that that’s how I was introduced to the world,’ she said. ‘It was a negative way, so I felt like I really had to work 10 times harder to get people to see the real me.’
She later claimed in a 2018 episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that she was ‘high on ecstasy’ while filming the tape.
She said: ‘I got married on ecstasy—the first time. I did ecstasy once, I got married. I did it again, I made a sex tape’.
She added: ‘Everyone knows it. Like, my jaw was shaking the whole time’ as she spoke with Scott Disick.
NICK CANNON: 2006-2007
Kim briefly dated presenter and comedian Nick from September 2006 to January 2007.
Fleeting: Despite calling the reality star ‘one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet’ Nick explained that he couldn’t forgive her for denying her sex tape existed
Despite calling the reality star ‘one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet’ Nick explained that he couldn’t forgive her for denying her sex tape existed.
Speaking on The Howard Stern Show he explained: ‘This was my issue. We talked about this tape…And she told me there was no tape.
‘If she might have been honest with me I might have tried to hold her down and be like ‘That was before me’ because she is a great girl.
‘She’s actually one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. But the fact that she lied and told me that there was no tape?’
Nick revealed that he had always suspected that Kim might have had something to do with the tape’s release.
‘And I still think she might have even had a part to play with [its release],’ he said.
He later paid dues to Kim’s incredible business acumen and command of the reality sphere, saying : ‘I think she’s a great businesswoman if you ask me.’
REGGIE BUSH: 2007-2010
Kim enjoyed an off-off romance with the then-NFL running back who was five years her junior back in 2007.
Great love: Kim and Reggie Bush dated from 2007-2010 (pictured 2010)
Kim and Reggie’s romance originally ended in July 2009. Two months later they got back together before ending their relationship again in March 2010.
Kim, and Reggie were the subject of repeated engagement claims throughout their relationship.
Many thought that the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star and the sports star would end up getting married due to the closeness of their relationship.
In 2011 Kim’s former publicist claimed the reality star had never got over her ex Reggie Bush – and that her marriage to Kris Humphries was a sham.
Jonathan Jaxson – who worked with the reality star between 2007 and 2009 – claimed that Kim still held a candle for her former footballer beau.
During an interview with New York’s Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, Jaxson said: ‘She’s never gotten over [her ex Reggie Bush].’
In 2018 Reggie said of Kim: ‘We don’t speak. She’s doing a great job creating a brand for herself, her and her family,’ Bush said. ‘I’m happy for ’em … she’s very smart.’
MILES AUSTIN: 2010
Moving on from Reggie, Kim fell into the arms of another NFL player, Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Miles Austin who she dated from June to September 2010.
Romance: Moving on from Reggie, Kim fell into the arms of another NFL player, Miles Austin who she dated from June to September 2010 (pictured July 2010)
At the time it was reported the then 29-year-old reality TV star and her beau decided to break up because they couldn’t cope with a long-distance relationship.
A source told American website People.com at the time: ‘There’s no huge reason except their distance apart.
‘With his season and Kim’s filming of Keeping Up with the Kardashians it just slowly split them apart.’
The couple had spent months apart as Kim had been promoting her family’s reality TV show in Europe while Miles has had sporting commitments with the Cowboys.
The source added: ‘They tried to keep it as low profile as possible when they were together.
‘They were acting as if they were single or just having fun, but they never were.
‘It was the real deal. They were always strong.
‘But before Kim left for Europe they decided it’s not fair that they don’t get to spend more time together and ended it.’
After Kim, Austin married Cowboys cheerleader Stacy Sydlo in 2014.
GABRIEL AUBRY: 2010
Kim enjoyed a brief romance with Halle Berry’s model ex Gabriel Aubry shortly after splitting from Miles.
Fleeting: Kim enjoyed a brief romance with Halle Berry’s model ex Gabriel Aubry (pictured 2010)
The pair were later pictured at a basketball game together.
Page Six confirmed the pair were dating, saying: ‘They started seeing each other in the last few weeks.
‘They have been out a few times, he’s visited her house in LA. Sunday’s game was the first time they were comfortable enough to be seen in public together. It’s early days but they’re getting on well.’
However the relationship was not meant to be, allegedly because Halle was displeased, which ‘scared Kim off.’
Things did not last, reportedly because Berry was displeased, which scared Kardashian off.
KRIS HUMPHRIES: 2010-2011
Kim’s romance with the basketball player may have only lasted a year but became etched in the world’s memory when she filed for divorce just 72 days after their fairytale wedding.
The couple began dating in October 2010 before an engagement in May 2011 which was featured on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
72-day marriage: In August 2011, Kim and Kris Humphries wed during a lavish, televised ceremony in Montecito, CA
Their wedding on August 20, 2011 was well-attended by 450 guests and cost approximately $10million, but their relationship began to sour and by October, Kim filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.
While Kris and Kim split in October 2011, they faced a lengthy legal battle and finally reached a divorce settlement on June 3, 2013.
In the aftermath of the split it was claimed the nuptials were a hoax ‘right from the start’.
A source close to the pair at the time alleged Kim was ‘never really into’ her husband, but went along with the wedding as a ‘publicity stunt’.
In 2017 Kim revealed she knew her marriage to Kris would end while on their honeymoon.
Appearing on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live, the star confessed that she had a ‘freak out’ when she turned 30, which spurred her on to ‘get her life together’ and tie the knot with Kris.
However, the reality star went on to admit that the decision may have been too rushed as she realised on their honeymoon, just days after the wedding, that the NBA player, 32, was not her Mr Right.
Speaking of the fleeting romance, Kim admitted to host Andy Cohen that she had panicked after turning 30, when she realised her friends were all getting and married and having children.
She explained: ‘I just thought, ‘Holy s**t, I’m 30 years old, I better get this together, I better get married.’
The following year Kim began dating long-term friend Kanye West and the rest is history…
KANYE’S RELATIONSHIP HISTORY
ALEXIS PHIFER: 2002-2008
First fiancee: A then unknown Kanye started dating model and designer Alexis in 2002 (pictured 2006)
A then unknown Kanye started dating model and designer Alexis in 2002 – around the same time he met future wife Kim for the first time.
They had an on-off romance for a few years before getting engaged in 2006.
However, 18 months later they called off the wedding.
Alexis told People in 2008: ‘It’s always sad when things like this end, and we remain friends
‘I wish him the best in his future and all of his endeavors. He’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever met.’
Kanye processed the break-up by working on 808s and Heartbreak – an album which would top the charts all over the world and propel him to rap superstardom
BROOKE CRITTENDON – 2004-2006
Brooke dated Kanye for two-and-a-half years after meeting backstage at a gig in 2004 when she was working as a production assistant for MTV.
Romance: Brooke dated Kanye for two-and-a-half years after meeting backstage at a gig in 2004 (pictured 2006)
But the couple eventually called time on their long-term romance because Brooke wasn’t comfortable with ‘sharing’ her man with other women.
She added in an interview with The Sun newspaper in 2013: ‘I was never OK being one of many — or even one of a few.
Kanye was very open and honest but it ended up with me knowing too much. I don’t want to be silly and say it wasn’t cheating because I knew about it.
‘He definitely had an appreciation for the feminine form and a curiosity.
‘As a celebrity, sex becomes cheap but his obsession with sex was more sophisticated.’
AMBER ROSE – 2008-2010
Kanye’s most high-profile romance pre-Kimye was with model and social media star Amber Rose. Kanye is said to have spotted Amber on a video shoot for Ludacris’ 2008 single What Them Girls Like and they struck up a bond.
The beauty was by his side when he stole the mic from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech at the MTV VMAs and the pair stayed together for two years.
Acrimonious split: Kanye’s most high-profile romance pre-Kimye was with model and social media star Amber Rose (pictured 2010)
Kanye was bold about slamming his former girlfriend in 2015 when he said in an interview that he had to take ’30 showers’ after dating Amber.
He candidly confessed: ‘If Kim had dated me when I wanted, there would be no Amber Rose.’
The rapper is said to have had his eye on Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Kim as early as 2008, naming her his ‘girl of the week’ in early blog posts which resurfaced in October 2014.
He added in the one-to-one: ‘It’s very hard for a woman to want to be with someone that’s with Amber Rose. I had to take 30 showers before I got with Kim.’
Amber later branded Kim a ‘homewrecker’.
In January 2012, Amber accused Kanye of cheating on her with Kim, who was then dating American footballer player Reggie Bush.
She told America’s Star magazine: ‘They were both cheating. They were both cheating on me and Reggie with each other.
‘She was sending pictures, and I was like, “Kim, just stop. Don’t be that person.”‘
In January 2016 West reignited his long war with ex-girlfriend Amber after dragging her name into a 30 tweet tirade against her then partner Wiz Khalifa.
But her revenge was rather more concise – a short, shocking and sexually explicit response that caused a collective gasp across the Internet.
In 2020 he was also said to have called her a ‘prostitute’ at a presidential rally.
2010 – 2011 SELITA EBANKS/MELODY THORNTON/CHANEL IMAN/VIRGINIE MAURY
Relationship? The star was linked to Victoria’s Secret beauty Selita Ebanks in 2010
The star was linked to Victoria’s Secret beauty Selita Ebanks and did little to quell the rumours after casting her as the lead in his 2010 short fashion film, Runaway.
He is then said to have moved on with Pussycat Dolls star Melody Thornton but the romance fizzled out.
Kanye continued his model dating as he was linked to fellow VS star Chanel Iman, although she denied they were ever in a relationship.
He was then seen packing on the PDA with French model Virginie Maury in France although this soon came to an end.
KIM KARDASHIAN – 2012 – 2021
Early snap: Kim confirmed her romance with Kanye in June 2012
They finally got together eight years after meeting.
In March, The rumored couple let it be known they were spending time with each other when Kim sat front row at Kanye’s runway show during Paris Fashion Week.
The following month, after months of rumors and rumblings, Kim and Kanye made their relationship official as they held hands in New York City.
In May they took things a step further and make their red carpet debut at the Cannes Film Festival during the premiere for the film Cruel Summer.
In December, the Stronger rapper joyously reveals that his is expecting his first child with Kim during a New Year’s Eve concert in Atlantic City.
The pair welcomed daughter North in June 2013.
Kim and Kanye have been rocked by claims that their six-year marriage is over, with sources saying ‘divorce is imminent’ for the power couple.
Several sources have claimed that Kim is preparing to file for divorce from her rapper husband while he is said to be fed up with the whole Kardashian clan.
The rumors of a split follow a rocky year for the couple where they were spotted having ‘crisis’ talks after Kanye accused Kim of trying to ‘lock me up’ and said he wanted to divorce her in a series of rambling Twitter posts while he was said to be in the grips of a bipolar episode.
Making it official: Kim and Kanye have been rocked by claims that their six-year marriage is over, with sources saying ‘divorce is imminent’ for the power couple (The couple married in Florence, Italy on May 24 2014)
Kanye also made a failed run for the White House in 2020 and during his first presidential campaign rally told attendees that Kim had considered aborting daughter North.
DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for the couple, who have so far been unavailable for comment.
A source told PageSix the couple are ‘done’ and are currently in talks about dividing up their fortune after leading separate lives over the past year, with Kanye spending most of his time at his $14 million ranch in Wyoming.
It has been claimed that Kim has hired superstar lawyer Laura Wasser, who is the managing partner at the Family Law firm Cooperman & Mandles, and the Founder and CEO of the online divorce service, It’s Over Easy.
In insider went on: ‘They are keeping it low-key but they are done. Kim has hired Laura Wasser and they are in settlement talks.’
While Kim has previously tried to protect and help her husband during his mental health struggles, ‘she has grown up a lot’ and has now ‘had enough of it,’ the source said.
The insider said: ”She is serious about taking the bar exam and becoming a lawyer, she is serious about her prison reform campaign. Meanwhile Kanye is talking about running for president and saying other crazy s**t, and she’s just had enough of it.’
Family: TMZ are reporting that the couple have been in marriage counseling for a while and that ‘divorce is on the table’
But another source told the outlet that Kanye is just as much over the marriage as Kim.
‘[He] is completely over the entire family… He wants nothing to do with them,’ they said, adding that the rapper eventually found their long-running E! reality show ‘unbearable.’
It was also reported that Kanye flew to Tahiti for just one day during Kim’s birthday celebrations back in October.
‘He showed up late and left early, he wouldn’t appear in any of their Instagram shots. All he did was bring over the hologram of her father Robert Kardashian, then got out of there as fast as he could,’ the insider added.
Kim has not been seen wearing her $1.3 million engagement ring in recent weeks.
Another source close to the situation told People that Kanye ‘knows that [Kim is] done’ trying to make things work between them. ‘She has had enough, and she told him that she wants some space to figure out her future.’
It’s All Over Yeezy: It has been claimed that Kim has hired superstar lawyer Laura Wasser, who is the managing partner at the Family Law firm Cooperman & Mandles, and the Founder and CEO of the online divorce service, It’s Over Easy’ (Laura pictured in 2013)
The insider said that, despite the emotional turmoil that comes with a split, the insider claimed to the outlet that Kanye is doing ‘okay.’
‘He’s okay. He’s sad, but okay. He knows the inevitable will happen, and he knows that it’s coming soon,’ they explained.
As to when the rumored divorce will come to fruition, a second source told People that ‘it will happen eventually, but [Kim is] waffling.’
Meanwhile, TMZ are reporting that the couple have been in marriage counseling for a while and that ‘divorce is on the table’.
Their source said that Kim has been going back and forth about splitting from Kanye for good but ‘no final decision has been made’.
Lastly Us Weekly reported that their relationship has reached the point of no return and that they haven’t been on the same page for quite a while.
A source for the publication said: ‘They have both been living separate lives for many months now.
‘Kim and Kanye haven’t been on the same page for a while now.’
The weekly also reported that things came to a head last month as the couple had a massive blowup.
An insider for UsWeekly said: ‘They had a big fight in early December.
‘Kanye blew up at Kim and she was really upset. Things between them don’t seem to have healed since that.’
It comes after a particularly turbulent year for the couple and one in which an increasingly erratic Kanye launched his failed bid for the US presidency amid what was claimed to be another bipolar episode.
After a string of concerning outbursts from Kanye over the summer, both in public and on social media, the couple were photographed in Wyoming in late July as they met for marriage crisis talks.
A distraught looking Kim was seen in a car with her husband as they appeared to be having an emotional discussion.
‘Divorce is imminent’: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West rocked by claims their marriage is OVER after six years
Shortly after, they jetted off on a trip to the Dominican Republic with their kids for a ‘make or break’ trip.
But it’s been months since they’ve been seen together.
And it’s not gone unnoticed that Kanye, 43, has featured in none of the Kardashian family Christmas photos in recent weeks.
The hip hop star hasn’t been active on Twitter since the November presidential election and has only been photographed a handful of times since then, without Kim, driving to and from his office in Calabasas.
The last time he was publicly seen with the Kardashian family was at Kim’s 40th birthday celebrations in French Polynesia in October.
It’s thought that the Power hitmaker is currently back in Wyoming at the ranch and working on music.
Last month, it was reported the couple – who married in 2014 and have four children together – were still together but ‘living separate lives’.
A source told PEOPLE the duo were ‘very much living separate lives’.
‘Kim has work and projects that are important to her, and Kanye has his,’ the insider added.
The source said Kim and Kanye’s lives ‘don’t overlap much’ and Kim is happy focusing on the causes she’s passionate about.
Troubles: The couple were photographed in Wyoming in late July as they met for marriage crisis talks amid Kanye’s mental health issues. A tearful Kim was seen in a car with her husband on July 27
Indeed, Kim has been keeping busy with numerous projects including her SKIMS clothing line and her legal work on prison reform.
If the couple decide to move forward with a divorce, they will need to decide who gets their $60 million Hidden Hills, California, mansion which they renovated together.
They bought the property for $40 million and then spent around $20 million to overhaul it, transforming it into a minimalist all-white oasis with the help of Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt.
Page Six reports that Kim will want Kanye to let her have the home because it’s where their kids are being raised.
Holding on: Last month it was claimed that Kim and Kanye were still together but ‘living separate lives’ after a difficult year
Absent: Kanye featured in none of the Kardashian Christmas photos in recent weeks
‘She owns all the land and adjoining lots around the house but Kanye owns the actual house. They’ve both put a lot of money into renovating it.’ a source said.
Amid Kanye’s erratic behavior last year, the TV personality spoke out for the first time about her husband’s bipolar disorder and asked the public for compassion and understanding about her ‘brilliant yet complicated spouse’.
‘Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behaviour know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor.’ she wrote on social media.
‘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.
‘Living with bipolar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas, no matter how big or unobtainable they may feel to some.
‘That is part of his genius and as we have all witnessed, many of his big dreams have come true.’
It came after weeks of Kanye’s bizarre Twitter meltdowns, public overshares, and an emotionally charged presidential rally where he suggested that he and Kim once considered aborting their first child North.
He also accused Kim of cheating with Meek Mill and called her mother Kris Jenner ‘Kris Jong-Un’, while also claiming the family were trying to force him into psychiatric treatment.
Sources told PEOPLE at the time he launched his campaign in July that he was experiencing an episode amid his bipolar disorder.
Laying low: The rapper hasn’t been active on Twitter since election week where he suggested he’ll be running for POTUS again in 2024
Kim and Kanye first met in 2004 on a music video shoot when the KUWTK star was still married to Damon Thomas, who she married in 2000.
Kanye at the time was dating model Alexis Phifer. He went on to date model Amber Rose for two years, splitting in 2010.
That same year the Fade rapper attended Kim’s 30th birthday while Kim was with Dallas Cowboy’s player Miles Austin.
Kanye and Kim wed in 2014 and share four children together, daughters North, seven, and Chicago, two, and sons Saint, five, and Psalm, one
They finally got together two years later, in 2012, after Kim’s short-lived marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries, which she ended after just 72 days.
Kim confirmed her romance with Kanye in June 2012 and they announced they were expecting their first child that December.
Kanye proposed after their daughter North was born and the couple married in Florence, Italy on May 24 2014.
KIM AND KANYE’S LOVE AFFAIR
A look at Kim and Kanye’s love story
2004: First meeting
Kim and Kanye first met on a music video shoot when the KUWTK star was working as Brandy’s stylist and Kanye was working on a song with the songstress.
At the time she was still married to Damon Thomas, who she wed in 2000, and Kanye was dating model Alexis Phifer.
Kanye was dating model Alexis Phifer
Speaking about their first meeting on the Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10 year anniversary special, Kim said: ‘I met him I think in 2002 or 2003. He was recording a song with Brandy, and I was her friend…
‘I vividly remember hanging out with him and then they did a video together, so I’d see him a few times…
‘He was asking his friends: ‘Who is this Kim Kardajan?’ He didn’t know what my name was’.
She later told Vogue Arabia in 2019: ‘This was before you released your first album and you were known as a music producer. I was really shy…
‘You thought I was Brandy’s assistant, which I wasn’t. Ever since you said that, it’s everywhere… like “Kim is Brandy’s assistant.” I was her friend and stylist. [laughs]…
‘I thought you were attractive, nice, very charming, really funny, powerful – I was in awe of you, but I was really shy, quiet, and a little nervous, to be honest.’
Later on that year, Kim split from Damon, who she wed when she was just 19 after eloping. She attributed domestic violence for the split – a claim he has always staunchly denied .
Kim wrote in the divorce papers: ‘Before we left out home, Damon hit me in the face and cut my lip open.. I fell into the bed frame and banged my knee hard. I was limping when we went skydiving.’
Sealing the deal: West’s crush on Kardashian only grew over the years as the rising star began getting photographed next to her boss-turned-friend Paris Hilton; Paris and Kim pictured in 2006
2006: Heads turned further
Kanye’s huge crush on Kim only grew over the years as the rising star began getting photographed next to her boss-turned-friend Paris Hilton.
In an interview with Ryan Seacrest in 2013, Kanye revealed that he truly fell for his future wife after he got a glimpse of a certain photo of her next to her pal Paris in Australia.
He said: ‘I just knew I wanted her to be my girl for a long time. ‘I remember I saw a picture of her and Paris Hilton, and I remember telling my boy, ‘Have you seen that girl Kim Kardijon?”
Despite his growing attraction to Kim, Kanye went on to propose to longtime girlfriend Alexis in August of 2006.
The proposal was slightly more low-key than his eventual proposal to Kim many years later.
Kanye popped the question to Alexis over a lobster and pasta dinner during a vacation to Capri.
Tradgedy struck the following year however, when Kanye’s beloved mother Donda passed away.
Following a number of procedures for liposuction, a tummy tuck, and a breast reduction, the following day she experienced a sore throat, pain and tightening in her chest, before collapsing. A friend who was with her called 911 and West was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room.
After her death, Kanye seemed keen to honour her wishes of his marriage as he said of tying the knot to Alexis: ‘I’m just going to go and get married — I’m not going to make a big deal out of it…
‘I wouldn’t get married to prove anything to anyone. It’s for me, for stability in my life, and I’m so happy that I found someone that I really love, that challenges me, that keeps my life interesting, that’s just as crazy as I am.’
Working together: Kanye asks Kim to appear in his infamous hip-hop puppet show Alligator Boots, where she would be playing the part of Star Wars’ Princess Leia; Kim and Kanye pictured in 2008
2008: A split, Princess Leia and two new loves
In April, Kanye calls off his year-and-a-half engagement to Phifer, as confirmed by Phifer in a statement to People, in which she said: ‘It’s always sad when things like this end, and we remain friends’.
Shortly after, Kanye asked Kim to appear in his infamous hip-hop puppet show Alligator Boots, where she would be playing the part of Star Wars’ Princess Leia.
Although the show was rejected by Comedy Central, Kardashian still had fond feelings for the project as she shared behind the scenes pictures from the set of Alligator Boots to social media in 2018.
Kim wrote on her website: ‘We had met before this project (back in 2003), but I would say this is when we first really connected. These pics are SO funny!’
At the time of filming Alligator Boots, Kim was in a relationship with New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, who she started dating in 2007.
Meanwhile, Kanye became involved with model Amber Rose in September of that year.
Future couple? In February, Kim and Kanye reunite with one another at the Y-3 show in New York City. Kim attended the show with boyfriend Reggie, while Kanye arrived solo and snagged a seat next to the couple and actress Milla Jovovich
2009: A fashionable meet and a mysterious mention
In February, Kim and Kanye reunite with one another at the Y-3 show in New York City. Kim attended the show with boyfriend Reggie, while Kanye arrived solo and snagged a seat next to the couple and actress Milla Jovovich.
In April, during his appearance on Keri Hilson’s hit track Knock You Down, appears to reference his looming crush on Kim and his jealousy over her relationship with Reggie.
He rapped: ‘You were always the cheerleader of my dreams / Seem to only date the head of football teams/…
‘And I was the class clown that always kept you laughing / We were never meant to be, baby we just happened’.
Kanye and Amber also part ways in July of that year
2010: The end of two love stories
In March, after three years of dating, Kim and Reggie split up for good. Reports at the time blamed the pressures of fame.
They had briefly split in August 2009 before reuniting, however he was unable to reconcile himself to Kim’s rising star.
An insider told e! online: ‘They do truly love each other and there’s no bad blood… They’re even open to the idea of reconciling down the road, but need to be apart right now.’
Kanye and Amber also part ways in July of that year.
Following their split, Amber blamed Kim for the split, saying: ‘Kim is one of the main reasons why me and Kanye are not together. She’s a homewrecker!’
In the years after his split from Amber, Kanye has openly criticised the model – most famously saying in a 2015 interview that he had to take ’30 showers’ after dating her and reportedly branding her a ‘prostitute’.
In December, as Kim filmed the music video for her single Jam (Turn It Up), Kanye was present on set. Famously, Kardashian’s mother Kris Jenner snapped at him for checking out her daughter’s famous derriere by bluntly saying, ‘Don’t be looking at her a**’.
The songwriter snapped back: ‘I’ve never seen it actually.’
In August 2011, Kim and Kris wed during a lavish, televised ceremony in Montecito, CA
2011: A Hump(hries) in the road
In May 2011, Kim got engaged to her NBA star boyfriend Kris Humphries, who she started dating in October of 2010.
In August that year, Kim and Kris wed during a lavish, televised ceremony in Montecito, CA. The eye-popping nuptials were attended by 450 guests and cost approximately $10million,
In an explosive twist in the tale, after just 72 days of marriage, Kim filed for divorce on October 31.
Kim later revealed that she had misgivings about the marriage but felt she must go forward due to surrounding pressures.
She said: ‘There was all this attention on the wedding, and I thought ‘maybe it was just the pressure of the show giving me this anxiety.’
‘The night before, my mom pulled me aside, off camera, and was like, ‘This isn’t it for you,”
‘I felt like, if I pulled out now, everyone’s going to think I just did it for the show. Then afterwards, people were saying, ‘You have to stay married for a year,’ but I physically couldn’t do it. When I made the decision [to divorce], everyone said it was made up for the show. Everyone really wanted to take me down.’
Kris said of the split: ”It’s never easy to go through the embarrassment of something like that — with your friends, with your family …. But when it plays out so publicly, in front of the world, it’s a whole other level. It was brutal’.
During his appearance on Kocktails with Khloe, Kanye revealed to Khloe that he tried to talk Kim out of moving forward with her marriage to Kris.
Shortly after, rumors began to swirl that Kim had taken her friendship with Kanye to the next level.
Early snap: Kim confirmed her romance with Kanye in June 2012 and they announced they were expecting their first child that December
2012: It’s TRUE and there’s a baby
They finally got together eight years after meeting.
In March, The rumored couple let it be known they were spending time with each other when Kim sat front row at Kanye’s runway show during Paris Fashion Week.
The following month, after months of rumors and rumblings, Kim and Kanye made their relationship official as they held hands in New York City.
In May they took things a step further and make their red carpet debut at the Cannes Film Festival during the premiere for the film Cruel Summer.
In December, the Stronger rapper joyously reveals that his is expecting his first child with Kim during a New Year’s Eve concert in Atlantic City.
The rapper said ‘stop the music’, then announced ‘make noise for my baby mama right here,’ with a wide smile. Kanye’s announcement prompted a flurry of excited tweets from the audience
Taking to her official website, Kim also confirmed the pregnancy, writing: ‘It’s true!! Kanye and I are expecting a baby…
‘We feel so blessed and lucky and wish that in addition to both of our families, his mom and my dad could be here to celebrate this special time with us. Looking forward to great new beginnings in 2013 and to starting a family.’
2013: A star is born… North West is here and a wedding on the way
Epic proposal: In October, Kanye made proposal history when he asked Kim for her hand in marriage with a sparkling 15-carat Lorraine Schwartz diamond ring
On June 15, Kim welcomed their daughter North West.
Weeks later, the KUWTK star showed off a picture of her and Kanye’s baby girl, while appearing on her mother Kris’ short lived talk show.
In October, Kanye made proposal history when he asked Kim for her hand in marriage with a sparkling 15-carat Lorraine Schwartz diamond ring.
The proposal was a total surprise and went down at the AT&T Park baseball park in San Francisco, which Kanye rented out for the occasion.
He had arranged for the words ‘PLEEESE MARRY MEEE!!!’ to flash up on the giant scoreboard at the ballpark.
Despite his bravado, Kanye admitted prior to the proposal he was nervous, saying: ‘I was talking to a cousin, I said, ‘What do you think she’s gonna say?’…
‘I’m not arrogant about love and feelings at all . . . I knew I wanted her to be my girl for a long time
In November, the couple then made headlines around the globe when shortly after their engagement, Kim famously appeared nude while straddling Kanye on a motorbike in his Bound 2 music video.
2014: The wedding
In May the following year, the couple tied the knot at the Renaissance fortress in Florence, Italy
In May the following year, the couple tied the knot at the Renaissance fortress in Florence, Italy. The lavish affair saw 200 people in attendance and Kim walked down the aisle in a stunning Maison Margiela bridal gown.
They were wed under the direction of Rich Wilkerson Jr, a pastor from North Miami. Speaking moments after the ceremony to E! News, Kim’s mum Kris said she was ‘beyond bursting with happiness for Kim, Kanye and baby North’.
‘Such a magical, romantic wedding!’ she added. ‘I feel blessed to have my new son and his family as part of ours.’ And Kanye seemed equally ebullient, with a source telling MailOnline he gave an eight-minute speech to the gathered guests.
‘I just wanna stop the music a second ‘cos my baby’s coming back with a new dress on. Here she is – Kim Kardashian West,’ he said, introducing his bride.
After the ceremony, the guests broke bread together sitting family style on a 70-metre-long marble banquet table – a gift from master craftsman Gualtiero Vannelli who used marble from the Tuscan quarry in Carrara, according to Us Weekly.
During the ceremony Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli serenaded Kim and Kanye with several of his songs, including Con te Partiro. Among the stars at the nuptials were Steve McQueen, Lala Anthony, Jaden Smith and Joe Francis.
2015: Saint West
In December, Kim and Kanye welcomed their second child, son Saint West, on December 5, 2015.
In May, in wake of her first wedding anniversary with Kanye, Kim confirmed to Glamour that she was expecting her second child with the Grammy winner.
‘North has taught me patience. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. And nothing I wouldn’t do for my husband. She’s empowered us to want to be the best parents and the best spouses,’ said the star.
In December, Kim and Kanye welcomed their second child, son Saint West, on December 5, 2015.
Eager to share her newborn with her massive Instagram following, Kim shared a portrait of Saint to the platform.
Kim later discussed life with two young children, saying of North: ‘I don’t know if it’s because she’s the older sister. I don’t know what it is. I thought it was a phase. She does not like her brother and it’s so hard for me…
‘She would get so jealous when I would breastfeed and all that kind of stuff. And now, the phase isn’t going away.’
Famed and adored for her seeming diva ways, Kim continued to give insight into life with North, saying: ‘She thinks she’s outsmarting me.
‘Like, she’ll have a tea party and say, ‘No boys allowed.’ Dad can’t come too then — no boys. And she’ll slam the door on her brother’s face and he’ll just start crying.’
2016: Kim’s trauma and trouble in paradise
In 2016, Kim was left traumatised when burglars broke into her Paris apartment during Fashion Week, tied her up and stole $10million of jewellery in October 2016 (pictured before the raid)
In 2016, Kim was left traumatised when burglars broke into her Paris apartment during Fashion Week, tied her up and stole $10million of jewellery in October 2016.
In 2018, she finally learning to be ‘okay’ with the horrifying experience because she has ‘learned so much from it’.
The reality star was robbed by five armed men wearing ski masks and clothes with police markings in the ordeal.
At around 3am, the robbers entered the building after the concierge let them in.
Handcuffed and at gunpoint, the concierge led them to the starlet’s flat.
Kim reportedly ‘begged for her life’ and told the gunmen she had children at home when two of them entered her room and held the gun to her head.
The men stole a jewellery box worth €6 million ($6.7 million/ £5.24 million) and a ring worth €4 million ($4.5 million/ £3.5 million), prompting fears that the valuables were personal ones, and not just jewellery Kim was borrowing for fashion week.
Kim also lost two of her prized smart phones – ones that are likely to contain a great deal of personal information.
As she recovered from the trauma of the robbery, Kim faced further plight when later that year, the couple were faced with allegations of ‘friction’ due to Kanye’s online behaviour.
After Kanye went on a number of Twitter tangents, insiders said: ‘ What causes friction in the marriage, however, is Kanye’s compulsive tweeting.
‘Kim can’t stand it. She is all for self-promotion, but doesn’t approve of Twitter drama’.
Despite this, they denied they were having issues with Kim saying ‘there’s just nothing to really report on’.
2017: Baby number three
The couple hired a surrogate to carry their third child. It was first reported in July that Kim opted to go the surrogate route due to health complications during her first two pregnancies
The couple hired a surrogate to carry their third child. It was first reported in July that Kim opted to go the surrogate route due to health complications during her first two pregnancies.
Kim, who suffered with life threatening placenta accreta when carrying North and Saint, is said to have been referred ‘by an agency’ to find the right surrogate.
TMZ claimed the famous duo paid $45,000 for the surrogate to carry their third child, before revealing the lady in question is an African-American college graduate in her Twenties who has been married for five years with two children.
‘The entire family is over the moon. Kim had been looking for a surrogate for months until recently when she found the perfect candidate,’ a source told People.
The singer added: ‘They want everything to be perfect and for the baby to be extremely healthy.
‘They don’t want any complications and Kim is providing an ideal eating regimen and diet so everyone knows what the baby is consuming before it’s born.’
Prior to hiring their surrogate, Kim spoke to her sister Kourtney about the perks of surrogacy, saying: ”If you use a surrogate, nobody has to know the whole time…
‘You could have a baby for a year and nobody would even know.’
2018: Chicago is here
In January, their daughter Chicago was born
In January, their daughter Chicago was born.
Kim delightedly announced the news, confirming in a statement : ‘We’re so in love. Kanye and I are happy to announce the arrival of our healthy, beautiful baby girl’.
Three days after the birth, Kim revealed that the couple had decided to call their newborn daughter Chicago.
She shared a picture of the name, captioned with the date and time of the tot’s birth, plus her weight – 7lbs, 6oz.
She shared a post which explains how to pronounce the shortened version of Chicago’s name.
The informative messages said: ‘And to everyone who thinks it’s literally pronounced as CHI. No. It’s ‘Shy’.’
When grilled on the unusual name: ‘Everyone asks me where we came up with that,’ Kim said about her baby girl, whom she regularly calls ‘Chi.
‘Kanye is originally from Chicago, and the city is really connected to his memory of his mom. So, we went with Chicago.’
2019: The brood continues to grow and Sunday Service arrives
In May, they then welcomed another son Psalm West by a surrogate and later renewed their wedding vows
In May, they then welcomed another son Psalm West by a surrogate and later renewed their wedding vows.
She announced Psalm’s arrival on Mother’s Day with a picture of the baby asleep.
Kris later explained what the name meant, saying: ‘The inspiration was the Book of Psalms in the Bible. I think it’s just a wonderful way to celebrate how they feel. And he’s such a blessing, so it’s perfect. He’s just adorable.’
Kim had spoken earlier about moving on to having four children.
She said: ‘I think that, [for] anyone that has three, I do recommend going for the fourth. You’re already there. You’re so close. It feels so balanced. It feels like there’s a partner for everyone—no one’s left out. Everyone gets along now.’
The biblical name came around the same time as the launch of Kanye’s Sunday Service, in which he delivered his own religious service each Sunday at his home since the beginning of 2019.
The biblical name came around the same time as the launch of Kanye’s Sunday Service, in which he delivered his own religious service each Sunday at his home since the beginning of 2019
Kim discussed the services and detailed what they meant to Kanye, saying: ”Kanye started this, I think, just to heal himself. It was a really personal thing, and it was just friends and family…
‘He has had an amazing evolution of being born again and being saved by Christ…
‘For the most part, it’s just a musical ministry. Kanye doesn’t have his 501 [registered non-profit exempt from federal tax] yet to make it an official church, but it is for God and it is a Christian church. It started off healing for him and it’s become something that he really wants to share for everybody else.’
Kanye himself spoke about Sunday Service, telling David Letterman: ‘It was really an idea that we had to open up our hearts and make music that we felt was as pure and as positive as possible…
‘And just do it for an hour every Sunday. And just have somewhere where people can come together and just feel good with their families.’
On July 4, Kanye announced he was entering the 2020 presidential race and Kim – as well as Elon Musk – backed him
2020: Kanye’s troubles and Kim’s birthday
On July 4, Kanye announced he was entering the 2020 presidential race and Kim – as well as Elon Musk – backed him.
Later that month, on July 19 he held a campaign rally in South Carolina, wearing a bullet-proof jacket marked ‘security’ and with ‘2020’ shaved into his head.
In a rambling speech, he revealed he and Kim had considered aborting North and also claimed abolitionist Harriet Tubman ‘never actually freed the slaves’.
On July 22, he fired off a series of tweets claiming Kim was trying to have him locked up on medical grounds, that he had been ‘trying to get divorced’ since Kim allegedly met rapper Meek Mill at the Waldorf Hotel and called mother-in-law Kris Jenner ‘Kris Jong-Un’.
Kim subsequently released a statement saying Kanye was suffering a bi-polar episode at the time. It was later revealed he was holing up at his Wyoming ranch and Kim was seen in tears as she visited him,
In October, Kim and Kanye through the stunner an elaborate 40th birthday festivities, which included dinner at candlelight with her nearest and dearest on a private island.
After the event, Kim shed light on some of the precautions she had everyone take in order to safely celebrate her big day, which included a two week quarantine prior to the party.
She penned: ’40 and feeling so humbled and blessed. There is not a single day that I take for granted, especially during these times when we are all reminded of the things that truly matter,’ she wrote.
Virtual: Kim Kardashian revealed on Thursday that she received a hologram of her late father Robert from husband Kanye West , in celebration of her 40th birthday
‘For my birthday this year, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it than with some of the people who have helped shaped me into the woman I am today. Before COVID, I don’t think any of us truly appreciated what a simple luxury it was to be able to travel and be together with family and friends in a safe environment…
‘After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. We danced, rode bikes, swam near whales, kayaked, watched a movie on the beach and so much more.
‘I realize that for most people, this is something that is so far out of reach right now, so in moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is. #thisis40.’
During the trip, she received a hologram of her late father Robert from husband Kanye.
Famed attorney Robert Kardashian, who tragically passed away from esophageal cancer in July of 2003 at the age of 59, was brought back to virtual life for the unconventional gift, which a number of fans have branded ‘creepy’.
Among the statements made by the virtual incarnation of the late Kardashian patriarch were that his famous daughter was ‘all grown up’, while he also hailed Kanye, 43, as ‘the most genius man in the whole world’.
The two-and-a-half minute video showed the late Kardashian wearing a beige suit jacket layered over a crisp white dress shirt as he seemingly spoke directly to Kim.
‘Happy Birthday Kimberly,’ greeted the hologram. ‘Look at you! You’re 40 and all grown up. You look beautiful just like when you were a little girl. ‘I watch over you and your sisters and brother and the kids everyday. Sometimes I drop hints that I’m around,’ noted hologram Robert, who made reference to something the Kardashians refer to as a ‘big peefee’.
2021: The end?
The couple have been rocked by claims that their six-year marriage is over, with sources saying ‘divorce is imminent’ for the power couple.
Several sources have claimed that Kim is preparing to file for divorce from her rapper husband while he is said to be fed up with the whole Kardashian clan.
The rumors of a split follow a rocky year for the couple where they were spotted having ‘crisis’ talks after Kanye accused Kim of trying to ‘lock me up’ and said he wanted to divorce her in a series of rambling Twitter posts while he was said to be in the grips of a bipolar episode.
Kanye also made a failed run for the White House in 2020 and during his first presidential campaign rally told attendees that Kim had considered aborting daughter North.
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