Paying tribute. Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker honored the late Chris Baker nearly 15 years after his death in the 2008 plane crash that killed three other passengers. The Blink-182 drummer, 47, was one of two survivors.
The Poosh founder, 44, shared a photo of Baker’s grave marker via her Instagram Story on Sunday, June 4. The “All the Small Things” musician shared a similar photo of the site — which was decorated with fresh flowers — via his own account. The couple, who tied the knot last year, visited the grave on Baker’s birthday alongside other friends and family.
Baker, who was Barker’s friend and personal assistant, was one of four people killed in the South Carolina crash in September 2008. Barker and Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein were the only survivors of the incident. Less than one year later, Goldstein died of a drug overdose at age 36.
Barker has been candid over the years about how the crash affected him personally. He refused to fly again for more than a decade and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by the crash.
In May 2021, nearly 13 years after the fatal accident, the Meet the Barkers alum revealed that he was thinking about getting on a plane again. “If I do it, and the angels above help me in my travels and keep me safe, I would like to come back and [tell my kids], ‘Hey, I just flew here, and then I flew home. And everything was fine.’ I have to tell them, because I almost left them,” the musician told Men’s Health at the time. “That’s a perfect day.”
The California native shares son Landon, 19, and daughter Alabama, 17, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. He is also the stepfather of Atiana, 24, whom Moakler, 48, shares with ex Oscar De La Hoya.
Shortly after that interview, Barker got on a plane again with support from Kardashian. In August 2021, the duo borrowed Kylie Jenner‘s jet and flew to Mexico with Kardashian’s mom, Kris Jenner, and her boyfriend, Corey Gamble.
“Travis getting on that plane was a big trip for him,” an insider exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. “It meant a lot that he was able to overcome his fear of flying because of Kourtney.”
Prior to that flight, the Famous Stars and Straps founder had only traveled by car, boat or train. “Travis has always felt bad he wasn’t able to fly his kids around the world and that he hasn’t been able to travel for work,” the source added. “Kourtney was so kind and patient with him and really met him on his level.”
The couple have since gone on many flights together, including to Italy for their May 2022 nuptials. The pair exchanged vows in Portofino after making it legal with a Los Angeles courthouse wedding earlier that month.
The duo’s Italian wedding was documented for the Hulu special ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Kourtney and Travis, which aired in April. “Kourtney, my heart and soul knew you were the one way before I realized. The sense of home I felt any time I was around you was undeniable,” Barker gushed during his vows. “Deep down, I always knew. I wanted to protect you from anything and anyone trying to hurt you. For so long I just didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”
He added: “I think for a while I just told myself to be thankful I have someone so special in my life. But I also knew if we were ever together then something more powerful than we had ever experienced would happen. And it did. I didn’t ever want to be with another person or think about another person in my life.”
