Putting herself first. While reflecting on her divorce from Kanye West, Kim Kardashian opened up about her decision to start paying attention to her own needs.
“For so long, I did what made other people happy. And I think in the last two years I decided, I’m going to make myself happy,” Kardashian, 41, shared in her March cover story for Vogue, published on Wednesday, February 9. “And that feels really good. And even if that created changes and caused my divorce, I think it’s important to be honest with yourself about what really makes you happy. I’ve chosen myself. I think it’s okay to choose you.”
The beauty mogul noted how much she was looking forward to the next chapter in her life.
“My 40s are about being Team Me. I’m going to eat well. I’m going to work out. I’m going to have more fun, spend more time with my kids and the people who make me happy,” she explained. “I’m going to put my phone down. Unfollow if I don’t want to see something on Instagram. Khloé [Kardashian] came up with the best phrase for that yesterday. She said, ‘Post and ghost.’”
Kim, who shares North, 8, Saint, 5, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 2, with West, 44, originally filed for divorce in February 2021 after almost seven years of marriage. The California native opened up about the issues in their relationship during the final season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
“I just honestly can’t do this anymore. Why am I still in this place where I’m stuck for years?” she said in a June 2021 episode of the reality TV series. “Like, he goes and moves to a different state every year. I have to be, like, together so I can raise the kids.”
She continued: “I can’t do that. He should have a wife that supports his every move and travels with him and does everything, and I can’t. I feel like a f–king failure. It’s my third f–king marriage. Yeah, I feel like a f–king loser. But I can’t even think about that. I want to be happy.”
Later that year, Kim moved on with Pete Davidson after they worked together on Saturday Night Live in October 2021. West, for his part, made headlines when he claimed that he never received any divorce papers amid Kim’s new romance.
“SNL making my wife say ‘I divorced him’ on TV because they just wanted to get that bar off, and I never have seen the papers. We’re not even divorced,” he said during an appearance on Revolt’s “Drink Champs” podcast in November 2021, one month after the Skims founder made her SNL hosting debut. “So how we — because [it’s] no joke to me, my kids want their parents to stay together. I want their parents — I want us to be together.”
In December 2021, Kim filed paperwork requesting to be declared legally single and to restore her last name.
“The parties’ marriage has irremediably broken down. [Kardashian] no longer desires to be married to [West],” the legal documents stated, noting that there was “no possibility of saving” the marriage. “There is no question that the marriage of the parties is no longer viable. [Kardashian] has no desire to reconcile with [West] and wants their marriage terminated.”
The Yeezy designer continued to raise eyebrows when he recently called out his estranged wife for allowing their oldest daughter to have a TikTok account. In a since-deleted Instagram post from Friday, February 4, West wrote, “SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST DIVORCE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO ABOUT MY DAUGHTER BEING PUT ON TIK TOK AGAINST MY WILL ?”
Kim broke her silence by accusing West of “constant attacks” towards her on social media since their split.
“From the beginning, I have wanted nothing but a healthy and supportive coparenting relationship because it is what is best for our children and it saddens me that Kanye continues to make it impossible every step of the way,” she wrote that same day. “I wish to handle all matters regarding our children privately and hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably.”
The KKW Beauty founder pointed out that divorce is “difficult enough” on their family and that West’s “obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation” creates more pain for everyone involved.
She concluded: “I wish to handle all matters regarding our children privately and hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably.”
On Wednesday, the businesswoman admitted that her priority is always making sure her children only hear positive things about their father, saying, “You could be so hurt or angry at your ex, but I think in front of the kids, it always has to be ‘Your dad’s the best.’ Make sure you are your coparent’s biggest cheerleader, no matter what you’re personally going through.”
