Khloé Kardashian isn’t trying to change her sister Kourtney Kardashian’s mind about Tristan Thompson.
“Khloé respects Kourtney’s feelings and would never push her to be open to a relationship with Tristan. But at the same time, it is unfortunate that this is the way things are,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “Of course, Khloé wishes things were different, but she understands she has no control over the situation.”
Kourtney, 44, said during the Thursday, November 2, episode of The Kardashians that she feels “triggered” when she sees Thompson, who cheated on Khloé, 39, multiple times during their relationship.
Kourtney noted that her daughter, Penelope, 11 — whom she shares with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick in addition to sons Mason, 13, and Reign, 8 — feels the same way.
“I feel like [Penelope] gets it from me. I told her — on the first day of school — [that] I was so triggered by him,” the Poosh founder told cameras. “Tristan has made horrible decisions and choices with my sister. There’s times when I am so triggered by him that I cannot be around him. Then there’s times where I just let it go because we just want harmony. He’s the father of my niece and nephew.”
Given Khloé and Thompson’s rocky history, the source tells Us that Khloé “respects Kourtney’s feelings and the boundaries she’s put up with Tristan.”
The insider adds: “It’s out of her hands. Khloé knows Kourtney is coming from a place of love and is very protective of her. It’s one of the things Khloé loves about Kourtney. She hopes that in time, Kourtney will come around.”
Khloé and Thompson, who dated on and off from 2016 to 2021, share daughter True, 5, and son Tatum, 15 months. Days before Khloé gave birth to True in 2018, news broke that Thompson, 32, had cheated on her with multiple women.
The duo initially stayed together in the wake of the infidelity scandal but then split in February 2019 when Thompson kissed Kylie Jenner’s then–best friend Jordyn Woods.
Khloé and Thompson went on to make up and break up several times before calling it quits for good in late 2021. That December, fitness model Maralee Nicholas sued Thompson for child support. One month later, the athlete acknowledged that he is the father of Nichols’ son Theo, 23 months. At the time, a surrogate was already pregnant with Khloé and Thompson’s second child, Tatum.
Despite their past drama, Khloé has managed to maintain an amicable coparenting relationship with Thompson. However, she doesn’t blame Penelope for having reservations about him.
“I am really proud of myself for where me and Tristan are and how I am able to allow him to be the father he wants to be. But where I am at with Tristan has nothing to do with what I expect my family members to do,” Khloé said in a confessional during Thursday’s episode of The Kardashians. “If Penelope has her feelings about Tristan, then rightfully so. And good for you, girl.”
The Good American founder continued: “I want Penelope to have these feelings, and I don’t want to talk her out of them. I don’t want this behavior to be something that I am validating or I am justifying. I want her to know that how she is feeling is the right way to feel. We shouldn’t accept someone treating us like this.”
While Penelope and Kourtney find it difficult to make nice with Thompson, Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian spoke highly of him during Thursday’s episode.
“We know Tristan has made some mistakes. I know he is really sorry for the way he hurt Khloé. And I am sure he regrets all of those mistakes every single day,” Kris, 67, told cameras.
Kim, 43, said in a confessional of her own: “It’s so crazy, because he’s such a good friend and he’s such a good dad, but he just couldn’t get it together in that area of being a faithful boyfriend.”
