Kim Kardashian reflects on 'toxic' marriage to Kanye West

Kim Kardashian has opened up about the emotional and financial turmoil she faced during her marriage to rapper Kanye West, revealing that their relationship left long-lasting impacts on her personal life, parenting, and future relationships.

In a candid interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, the 44-year-old reality star described her nine-year marriage to West, 48, as “toxic” and admitted she didn’t feel emotionally or financially safe during that time. Kardashian said she was initially drawn to West's intellect and larger-than-life persona but struggled to stay in the marriage once his behavior became unpredictable and harmful.

“When someone isn’t willing to make changes that would’ve been healthy, it’s hard to continue in a relationship that can be toxic,” Kardashian said, noting that West’s public mental health challenges, including his bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2016, contributed to the instability at home.

Kardashian, who shares four children with West—North, 12, Saint, 9, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 5—shared that she tried to stay in the relationship for the sake of their family. However, the situation became untenable. She recounted incidents where West gave away their luxury cars during manic episodes, creating a “lack of stability” in their lives.

She also addressed the rapper’s public outbursts on social media, including attacks on her family and claims that she withheld access to their children. “It’s not a kidnapping, it’s a divorce,” she stated, adding that she continues to encourage a healthy relationship between West and their children despite not hearing from him in months.

Kardashian admitted that the aftermath of her marriage has made dating difficult. She referenced West's targeting of her ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson in a music video as a reason she now hesitates to date publicly, fearing new partners could be dragged into similar situations.

Now single, Kardashian emphasized that she’s content focusing on raising her children and isn’t actively looking for a relationship. When the time comes, she said she hopes to connect with someone intellectually rather than based on status or appearance.

Reflecting on the so-called “Kardashian curse,” she pushed back against claims that her family causes the downfall of their partners, saying, “There’s such a fixation on what happened to the men, as if they have no accountability.”