Kim Kardashian was blindsided by her husband, Kanye West, when he made some controversial comments about slavery during his appearance on TMZ Live on Tuesday, May 1.
A source told Us Weekly that Kardashian, 37, wasn’t aware that the rapper was going to be on the show, and that she found out just as the rest of the country found out. “Kim was really upset that Kanye chose to have a very serious discussion in a place like that,” a source tells Us. “And because she wasn’t given a heads up about it beforehand.”
“Kanye shared a lot of his passionate words, which was important to him but had they been said in a different setting and time, they would have come across in a different way,” the insider added. “A lot of things he said were very serious. If he had said them in different, more planned out way it would be a different story, even positive.”
The source added: “Kim is trying to be a supportive wife … but it is hard.”
During his appearance on the show, the “Ye vs. the People” rapper, 40, made a comment that suggested that slavery in the United States had been a “choice” made by African-Americans. Later that day, the Adidas designer clarified his comments via Twitter. “To make myself clear. Of course, I know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will,” he tweeted. “My point is for us to have stayed in that position even though the numbers were on our side means that we were mentally enslaved. They cut our tongues so we couldn’t communicate to each other. I will not allow my tongue to be cut.”
Wendy Williams, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Will.i.am, Eve and Chris Brown were among the many celebrities who slammed the rapper for his comments. “That statement was one of the most ignorant statements that anybody that came from the hood could ever say about their ancestors, that slavery is a choice,” will.i.am, 43, said on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, May 2. “What are you talking about? That’s not Kanye. To me, that’s a different person that’s saying that.”
Another insider told Us in April that the KKW Beauty founder wasn’t happy with her husband’s recent Twitter messages: “Kim has been extremely upset with Kanye’s social media rants in the past.”
“She tried pointing out to Kanye that the posts were only adding to speculation about his mental health, and just wanted him to realize that,” the source continued. “He refuses to listen, and almost seemed to be taunting Kim’s advice, which he typically follows … At this point, Kim is just not engaging Kanye because it’s counterproductive and will only cause more fighting.”
