Hollywood's full of relationship rumors, and Kimye has fallen victim to this several times before. Recently, speculations that they're calling it quits was at an all-time high. But have the signs of a crumbling relationship been there all along?
Kimye
After a six-year marriage, it's rumored that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have decided to go their separate ways. Many people said they'd predicted they weren't meant to be, based on past events in the relationship.
No matter what's next for these two, they've certainly raised some beautiful children together. From their first encounter in the early 2000s to their magical wedding and everything in between, let's look back at Kimye over the years.
The Very Beginning
Long before romance sparked between them, Kim and Kanye met through a mutual friend. "I met him, I think in 2002 or 2003. He was recording a song with Brandy, and I was her friend," Kim recalled. "I vividly remember hanging out with him, and then they did a video together, so I'd see him a few times."
But Kim was still married to Damon Thomas at the time, so they were nothing more than friends. However, "I just knew I wanted her to be my girl for a long time," Kanye told Ryan Seacrest back in 2013. "I remember I saw a picture of her and Paris Hilton, and I remember telling my boy, 'Have you seen that girl Kim Kardijon?'"
Strictly Business
Kanye's a man that goes for what he wants, so once Kim was on his radar, he jumped at any opportunity to spend time with her. In 2008, he insisted that Kim star in his hip-hop puppet show, called Alligator Boots. The director pushed for another actress, but "Kanye was like, 'Nah, nah, nah. Get Kim Kardashian!" the director recalled.
The following year, Kanye sang about Kim in the song Knock You Down, with Keri Hilson. Kim was dating NFL star Reggie Bush at the time, but this didn't stop Kanye. The lyrics included "Seem to only date the head of football teams… You should leave your boyfriend now."
Becoming Closer
Whether Kim realized it or not, Kanye was determined to win her over, and the two started spending more time together. Kanye appeared on an episode of Kourtney and Kim Take New York in 2010, where he paid the sisters a visit at their store, Dash. "Kanye and I have been good friends for a long time," Kim revealed.
"He's someone that we definitely respect his fashion taste and his style, so we wanted him to come check out the store." The following year, as Kim was busy getting ready to marry NBA player Kris Humphries in 2011, she left Kanye out of the guest list; So how close were they really?
Kanye Tried To Stop Kim From Marrying Kris Humphries
Although he wouldn't be attending the ceremony, Kanye had other plans to stop the wedding. "I got a phone because somebody decided they wanted to marry Kris Humphries," Kanye revealed. "I looked on the internet, and there was Kim with some extremely tall person. I was like, 'I need to call her or something.'"
"I started sending her pictures of, like, certain basketball players that used to be cool that now they wear their pants all the way up to here," Kanye continued. "Like, this is your future." However, Kim still married Humphries, and little did she know that marriage would only last 72 days.
First Time Spotted in Public Together
Rumors began to spread about a romance between Kim and Kanye, especially after they were spotted in New York City together for the first time in April of 2012. That same month, Kanye rapped about Kim in the song Cold; "And I'll admit, I had fell in love with Kim / Around the same time she had fell in love with him."
There were speculations that Kim and Kanye were officially a couple after all of this, but it wasn't until May of 2012 when Kim gave confirmation. She called herself a "proud girlfriend" on Twitter, and Kanye started attending Kardashian family events more frequently.
Kanye Started Changing Kim
Once these two were officially a couple, Kim started making some changes in her life. "Kanye's definitely inspired me to be a little more of an individual," Kim shared on an episode of KUWTK. In the episode, Kanye and his stylist sorted through Kim's entire closet, giving her a "full makeover."
"I just think my style is just evolving and changing, and I think it should because that's what life is about," Kardashian explained. However, Kim later admitted she cried when Kanye's stylist demanded that she throw away one of her favorite pairs of shoes; Was she ever really on board with this makeover?
Kanye Didn't Like Being on 'KUWTK'
While Kanye made some appearances on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, he revealed that he never really enjoyed being on the show. "I don't really do her show just because I don't particularly like the way producers shoot some of the shots," Kanye shared back in 2013.
It's no secret that he has an incredibly creative mind, and not having control in this series was a challenge. "I'm very meticulous to that, right? I like to get a different DP [director of photography] or whatever." Plus, Kanye preferred to keep his personal life private.
Baby on the Way
In December of 2012, Kanye announced that Kim was pregnant with their first child during a performance. "We feel so blessed and lucky, and I wish that in addition to both of our families, his mom and my dad could be here to celebrate this special time with us," Kim later shared.
However, Kim was still legally married to Kris Humphries at the time. "I do not want to be married to (Humphries) when I have my baby," she wrote in a court document. "I should not be constrained in my financial and social endeavors by the fact that (Humphries) and I have a marriage which now exists in name only."
Kanye Caused Kim to Be More Private
Eventually, Kim's divorce was finalized, and she was able to focus all of her attention on her pregnancy. Suddenly, she stopped updating her fans on social media so frequently and appeared to live a more private life, which surprised some fans. "My boyfriend has taught me a lot about privacy," Kim told DuJour.
"I'm ready to be a little less open about some things, like my relationships. I'm realizing everyone doesn't need to know everything. I'm shifting my priorities," Kim continued. But to some fans, this didn't sound like Kim; Was it possible that Kanye wanted her to change her ways?
Cheating Rumors Arose
In May of 2013, Kim's friends and family threw her a magnificent baby shower, but this wasn't the only thing going on in the soon-to-be mother's life. Around the same time, rumors surfaced that Kanye had been cheating on Kim after a Canadian woman claimed that she'd been involved with West during Kim's pregnancy.
Rumors spread like wildfire, but Kanye continued to deny that it happened. "The most recent attack on Kanye West and his family is totally without merit," his representative told TMZ. "It's a blatant attempt by a misguided individual who is clearly seeking publicity." In June of 2013, baby North was born, and the drama blew over.
Controversial 'Vogue' Cover
Life as new parents seemed to be going well for Kim and Kanye. They got engaged in October of 2013 and began planning their dream wedding. And to make the year even more incredible, Mr. and Mrs. West became the first biracial couple to appear on the cover of Vogue.
Kim said this was the "best day ever," but not everyone was supportive of the couple. "Well... I guess I'm canceling my Vogue subscription. Who is with me?" actress Sarah Michelle Gellar tweeted. And she wasn't the only one; Vogue's Facebook page received over 700 comments about the cover, mainly criticizing Kim and Kanye's appearance.
Mr. and Mrs. West
Kim and Kanye weren't concerned with what others had to say about their relationship, as they were beyond excited to say "I do" at their magical wedding in May of 2014. They started their wedding festivities in Paris and then flew all of their guests to Florence, Italy, just in time for the ceremony.
The wedding photos were absolutely stunning, but Kanye revealed that he and Kim had photoshopped some. He explained that their original photographer, Annie Leibovitz, backed out, but "I still want my wedding photos to look like Annie Leibowitz's photos," said Kanye. "We sat there and worked on that photo for four days." But why?
Trouble in Paradise
As a married couple with two children, it seemed as though Kim and Kanye had put the drama behind them, but there were more rumors that this couple might be calling it quits. "My husband might be trying for a third child, but I am not," Kardashian revealed. So, to curious fans, this was an opportunity for investigation.
People were suddenly convinced that this marriage was filled with drama until Kim cleared things up in a video. "I've definitely had my fair share of, like, dramatic relationships," Kardashian admitted. "Honestly, this is like the most calm, and it's like, nope, we're still together."
Kanye Worried Kim Would Leave Him
In May of 2018, Kanye made some controversial comments on an episode of TMZ Live. "When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice," Kanye said. Many people criticized him for that, and he even worried that Kim would leave him.
"There was a moment where I felt like after TMZ, maybe a week after that, I felt like the energy levels were low, and I called family members and was asking, you know, 'Was Kim thinking about leaving me after TMZ?'" he told the New York Times. Evidently, that didn't happen, and Kanye shared Kim's reaction in his song Wouldn't Leave.
Kanye Decided to Move to Chicago
In an April 2019 episode of KUWTK, Kim discovered that Kanye had announced his plans to move back to Chicago. This was news to Kim, as he first made this announcement during a performance, and she claimed to have found out on social media. "We moving to Chicago," he said to her. "That's the vibe, babe. It feels good."
"When I went to Chicago, I felt like I was home," West shared. "There were a lot of things that I missed not being there for a long, long, long time. I feel connected, I feel inspired when I'm there." As much as Kim wished to be a supportive wife, she wasn't sure that moving to Chicago was best for their family.
Kim Was Blindsided
"I get that Kanye is really excited about Chicago," Kim explained. "He just needs a change of scene. I totally respect that, but I can't really imagine moving to Chicago." Kim also spoke about the idea of getting a second home there, "But it's not going to benefit us if we're all separated all the time," she said.
"I do think it's really important to definitely support my husband, but our whole life is in California." At the time, Kimye had three children and a fourth on the way. So, Kim explained, "I don't want to uproot them from all of their friends and their routine and their cousins and everything."
Kanye Disapproved of Kim's Met Gala Dress
Kim had spent months planning her wardrobe for the 2019 Met Gala, excited to show off her figure in a flattering corset. And the night before the event, "Kanye flew in because he didn't like my outfit, so he flew in [from his tour] to style me," Kim revealed. "He saw a picture of my outfit, and he said, 'I'm on the next flight.'"
"A corset is a form of underwear. It's hot. It's like, it's hot for who, though?" Kanye said. And Kim wasn't pleased with his last-minute decision, saying, "you knew last night that I was having really bad anxiety, and I don't need any more negative energy for you to now say that you're not into me wearing a tight dress."
Kanye Was Uncomfortable With Kim's Style
Even though Kim was incredibly proud to wear that particular dress to the Met Gala, Kanye felt that it was unacceptable. "I didn't realize that that was affecting my soul and my spirit as someone that's married and loved, the father of what's about to be four kids," Kanye explained.
"My husband has voiced that sometimes too sexy is just overkill, and he's not comfortable with it," Kim revealed. "I listen to him and understand him." Kim also reminded Kanye that he'd encouraged her to wear the type of clothing that makes her feel beautiful, and now he was going back on that.
One Big Happy Family
To celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary, Kim and Kanye held a vow renewal ceremony in May of 2019. While the celebration wasn't caught on camera, KUWTK showed the couple preparing for their special day and cluing their kids in on their engagement.
By this point, they were the proud parents of four beautiful children, so they had a lot to celebrate. "You are my husband. You are my best friend. My biggest believer and my one true love," Kim said to Kanye. For a moment, it looked like Kimye had put all of the past bumps in the road behind them.
Presidential Candidate
In July of 2020, Kanye announced that he would be entering the presidential race. "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision, and building our future," Kanye shared. "I am running for president of the United States."
And from the looks of it, Kim was incredibly supportive of her husband's new endeavor, standing by his side through it all. However, that would soon change at a presidential rally, as Kanye would reveal some extremely personal and private information that was never meant to become public knowledge.
Rally Speech Gone Wrong
During a speech at his first political rally in South Carolina, Kanye spoke about his stance on some rather controversial topics, including pro-life. This brought up the birth of his first daughter, North, and his private conversations with Kim during the pregnancy.
"Even if my wife wanted to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world, even when I said I didn't want to. She stood up and protected that child," West shared. And Kim was reportedly very upset that Kanye had shared this information with the public, as she always tries to protect her children.
"I've Been Trying to Get Divorced Since Kim Met With Meek"
In July of 2020, shortly after that particular rally, Kanye tweeted, "I've been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Waldorf for 'prison reform.'" He also referred to Kris Jenner as "Kris Jong-Un," and tweeted, "Kriss don't play with me you and that calmye are not allowed around my children."
Kim did what she felt was necessary to try and help her husband, but he continued with the Twitter rant. "Kim was trying to fly to Wyoming with a doctor to lock me up like on the movie Get Out because I cried about saving my daughter's life yesterday," Kanye tweeted.
Kanye Forbids His Kids From Posing for 'Playboy'
North's birth wasn't the only family topic that Kanye publicly spoke about during the summer of 2020. He also declared, "West children will never do Playboy west." However, Kim had previously posed for Playboy but was now forbidding his children from following in their mother's footsteps.
On another note, at the beginning of their relationship, Kanye frequently bragged about Kim's beauty. "People used to be like, 'What is Kim talented at?'" he shared. "She's talented at being beautiful!" He'd once been proud of his wife showing off her beauty, but evidently, he'd completely changed his views.
Kim Released a Statment About Kanye's Condition
Following Kanye's series of tweets, Kim released a statement, hoping to help others understand the reasoning behind her husband's words. "As many of you know, Kanye has bipolar disorder," she shared. "Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand."
Kim also explained that she and her family had tried to help Kanye, but they're "powerless" as he's an adult, so how he handles his life is up to him. Kanye later tweeted, "Kris and Kim put out a statement without my approval... that's not what a wife should do. White supremacy."
Apologized for His Actions
After his speech in South Carolina and his series of now-deleted tweets, Kanye publicly apologized to Kim. "I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter," Kanye shared. "I did not cover her like she has covered me."
"To Kim, I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me." Based on all that Kanye wrote online, it seemed that he wanted to make things right with Kim. But apparently, this might've just been the last straw for her.
Living Separate Lives
During recent months, many people started to notice that Kim and Kanye were living relatively separate lives. Kim and her children spent the holidays with Kris Jenner and the rest of the family, while Kanye stayed at his ranch in Wyoming. None of her photos from Christmas or the family vacations included Kanye.
Kim was also spotted with no ring on her finger, leading people to believe she was ready to move on from Kanye. Could Kim and Kanye really be splitting up this time? Kanye had publicly spoken about divorce before, but this time, there's even more speculation.
Rumors of Divorce
At the beginning of 2021, rumors struck the internet that Kimye was officially calling it quits, and this time, neither Kim nor Kanye denied it. Instead, friends and close sources from both sides claimed that this is true, and it's a decision that's benefiting both of them.
Kim has reportedly hired the same divorce attorney that she'd worked with during her marriage to Kris Humphries, and they're working on settling things once and for all. While Kim and Kanye haven't actually confirmed this, people in their lives have said that separating would be beneficial for them.
Former Nanny Says Kanye Was Controlling
Kim's former nanny, Pam Behan, who spent a lot of time around the entire family, shared that she thinks Kanye wasn't right for Kim. "Kanye was controlling," said Pam. "What I'm hoping for her is that she finds a non-controlling man. A kind, sweet, non-controlling man who'll let her be her."
"I hope that [Kim] can recognize that and the next man isn't like that," Behan added. "She doesn't need a man. I hope she's able to find happiness within herself and the kids and have fun with her girlfriends." Pam's also hopeful that Kim will eventually find "somebody that looks at her inside as well as her outside."
Was This the End of Kimye?
While it's possible that the marriage between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West wasn't meant to be, they've still made incredible memories together over the years. They've raised four beautiful children and helped one another take their careers to the next level.
Up until recently, the former power-couple seemed to be living their lives privately while prioritizing their children over everything else. So, fans assumed only time would tell what the future had in store for Kim and Kanye, and boy were they right...
The KUWTK Confession
While rumors continued to fly about Kimye's split, fans had to wait to watch KUWTK to get the full story. Kim explained on the show, "I just think he deserves someone who will support his every move and go follow him all over the place and move to Wyoming. 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... failure. It's my third... marriage. Yeah, I feel like a... loser. But I can't even think about that. I want to be happy," she admitted.
Filing For Divorce
After the announcement that the Kimye split would be a large part of the final season of KUWTK, it was reported that the couple had officially filed for divorce in February 2021. It seemed like the two were on good terms and agreed to have joint custody of their 4 kids.
But that didn't last too long. Despite Kim posting many Instagram's still rocking Yeezy's and supporting her ex-husband, their relationship started to become rocky. Sources even said that Kanye asked Kim to only reach out to him via his security!
Kim Still Supported Kanye
The former married couple's instability continued to confuse fans. One moment Kanye was unfollowing Kim on Instagram amid rumors that he was dating model Irina Shayk. And, the next minute the whole family was spotted hanging out together at an Asian Art Museum.
But against all odds, the reality star attended her ex-husband's Donda listening event on July 23, 2021. The two were even seen wearing matching red outfits! Safe to say, we were baffled. Especially when Kanye referred to the divorce on stage when he continuously sang, "I'm losing my family," during the song Love Unconditionally.
Back Together?
In August 2021, speculations were made that Kim and Kanye might have found their way back to each other. During the third Donda listening party, the Skims owner showed up to the show wearing a wedding dress! Of course, people were confused about why she did that.
Especially when the two celebs recreated their vows to one another, Twitter went crazy with their conspiracies. "Did Kanye and Kim just get back together? This event is nuts, lol," one user wrote. But records from TMZ revealed that Kimye was, in fact, not back together.
The SNL Shade
During her viral monologue on Saturday Night Live, Kim mentioned that she had recently gone through a divorce. Despite many loving her hosting skills, Kanye wasn't too happy with it. "SNL making my wife say 'I divorced him' on TV because they just wanted to get that bar off, and I ain't never even seen the papers," he said.
"We're not even divorced…that ain't no joke to me. My kids want they parents to stay together. I want us to be together," the rapper confessed that the separation wasn't officially complete. Little did he know that her monologue was probably the least of his concerns following that SNL episode...
Attempts To Get Kim Back
Kanye's efforts to win Kim back were non-stop. During his speech at a Thanksgiving event, he implied that the two of them would eventually get back together. "When God brings Kimye together, there's going to be millions of families that are going to be influenced to see that they can overcome the work of the separation."
Over a week after his speech, he was performing at the Free Larry Hoover benefit concert when he changed the lyrics to his popular song Runaway. "I need you to run right back, baby, more specifically, Kimberly," he serenaded. The public was shook! And so was Kim, who, according to Page Six, was embarrassed by his public efforts.
Pete Davidson Entered The Picture
After meeting each other on SNL, Kim K and comedian Pete Davidson sparked dating rumors after being spotted hanging out together several times. Soon enough, it was clear that the two had formed an unlikely relationship. While at first fans were skeptical, it seemed like the two were happy.
But that doesn't mean Kanye was. The artist has been very public with his dislike for the 28-year-old. He even dropped a song with the lyrics, "God saved me from that crash/ just so I can beat Pete Davidson's ***." Followed by a girl's voice singing "Who?" Which was probably a way of saying Davidson isn't even that famous.
Enter Julia Fox
On New Year's, Kanye met Julia Fox, and the two instantly hit it off. Just a few days after, the new couple was already posing for a photo shoot together. Of course, they made headlines because many fans thought he was still trying to get Kim back. Was he trying to make her jealous?
Not only were the two consistently showing public displays of affection, but Kanye was also buying the Uncut Gems actress a whole new wardrobe. Sound familiar...? "I don't know where things are headed, but if this is any indication of the future, I'm loving the ride," shared Fox about their fast-paced relationship.
Birthday Party Fiasco
The Kimye drama became even hastier when Kanye publicly outed Kim for not inviting him to their daughter, Chicago's, birthday party. The 44-year-old took to his Instagram stories to explain that no one from the famous family had cared to send him the birthday party address.
But as fans later came to find out, it was apparently a misunderstanding. Kim allegedly thought he was gonna do his own thing for Chi's 4th birthday. Later on that day, many videos and pictures were shared showing that the rapper indeed made his way to the celebrations.
Kim Finally Speaks Out
After months of keeping quiet while her ex-husband continuously "attacked" her parenting skills and publicly spoke about their private divorce, the reality star finally spoke up. Kim took to Instagram to write a long paragraph explaining her side of the story.
"Divorce is difficult enough on our children, and Kanye's obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all," she said. "I wish to handle all matters regarding our children privately." We'll have to wait and see how things play out for these two…