After a tumultuous year for rapper Kanye West and reality star Kim Kardashian, the celebrity pair are now living separately, according to multiple news outlets. They are also undergoing marriage counselling.
Reports say West is currently living at his residence in Wyoming, while Kardashian remains with the kids in Calabasas, Calif.
The couple have been married since 2014 and have four children together: North, 7, Saint, 5, Chicago, 2, and Psalm, 1.
West, 43, and Kardashian, 40, “are 100 per cent aligned when it comes to the kids,” a source close to the pair told NBC News. The source went on to say that they’re dealing with “regular relationship issues” and there is “no one else involved.”
“Kanye loves his extended family. They are super-close. They have been going to therapy. They are working on their marriage,” the unidentified source said. “Divorce has been discussed off and on. They are working through it… (and) trying to work through things.”
It’s been a rough year for the couple, easily one of the most famous celebrity duos on the planet.
It all started with West’s announcement that he’d be running for president against frontrunners Donald Trump and Joe Biden. While some took it as a publicity stunt, West appeared to be taking it very seriously — even though it ended in a failed bid and barely gained traction.
Then, in his first event after declaring himself a presidential candidate, he ranted against historical figure Harriet Tubman and said the Underground Railroad conductor “never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people.”
Tubman is one of the most respected figures of 19th century America. An African American who escaped slavery, she helped enslaved Black men and women travel north to freedom and fought for the Union during the Civil War. She later became a supporter of women’s suffrage.
West also spoke about abortion, broke down in tears and left the present audience in a stunned silence.
“I almost killed my daughter,” he said at the time to the crowd, saying he and Kardashian had considered terminating a pregnancy. “Even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world even when I didn’t want to. She stood up and she protected that child.”
A day later, West alleged that Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, were trying to “lock (him) up.”
“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,” he said in a now-deleted tweet.
Following these tweet accusations, Kardashian posted support for her husband on social media in a lengthy message, reminding the public that West has a history of mental illness.
“As many of you know, Kanye has bipolar disorder,” Kardashian wrote. “Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand.”
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression), according to the Mayo Clinic.
The Mayo Clinic adds that episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year, and while most people will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience any.
“I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health,” Kardashian said.
“I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions,” the Keeping up With the Kardashians star continued. “He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of being an artist and a Black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bipolar disorder. Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions.”
After West attended Kardashian’s much-discussed 40th birthday party, he stopped appearing in social media posts of the Kardashian family. He has not tweeted from his personal Twitter account since November 2020.
This is the first marriage for West, and the third for Kardashian. She was previously married to producer Damon Thomas and basketball player Kris Humphries.
As of this writing, neither Kardashian nor West has publicly commented on the separation.
— With files from The Associated Press
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If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you or someone you know may be suffering from mental health issues.
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