Kim Kardashian Reflects on “Sad” Marriage to Kanye West

Kim Kardashian is opening up about the emotional toll of her past marriage to Kanye West, revealing she once felt like she had “Stockholm syndrome” during their seven-year relationship. The 45-year-old reality star got candid during the Season 7 premiere of The Kardashians on Hulu, where she discussed how her ex-husband’s erratic behavior and their divorce affected her mental and physical health.

While filming Ryan Murphy’s series All’s Fair — in which she stars alongside Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, and Niecy Nash-Betts — Kim shared that her psoriasis, a chronic skin condition, resurfaced for the first time since her divorce in 2021.

“I haven’t had psoriasis since I got divorced, and it just started coming back,” she said. “I felt more stressed, probably because I had to super, super protect what I had to protect.”

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“I Always Felt Responsible for Him”

In a confessional interview, Kardashian reflected on how she once felt trapped in a cycle of protection and guilt toward the rapper.

“I always felt like I had a bit of Stockholm syndrome,” she admitted. “I always felt really bad and always protected and always wanted to help [him]. I would think, ‘I should’ve stuck it out’ or ‘I could’ve helped,’ but this was the first time I didn’t feel that responsibility personally.”

Kim called the state of their relationship “so f—— sad,” acknowledging the emotional burden of trying to manage West’s public outbursts and unpredictable actions.

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A Mother’s Focus: Protecting Her Children

Kim and Kanye, who married in 2014 and finalized their divorce in 2021, share four children — North (12), Saint (9), Chicago (7), and Psalm (6). During the episode, Kim stressed that her top priority remains protecting her kids from media coverage and the fallout from their father’s behavior.

“My poor kids,” she said. “Everyone around can handle it, but I have to protect my babies. They’re going to grow up and see things. My job as a mom is to make sure that, when that behavior is happening, they’re protected.”

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“It’s a Divorce, Not a Kidnapping”

The SKIMS founder also addressed online rumors suggesting she keeps the children from Kanye — a claim she firmly denied.

“It’s very confusing because there’s all this talk online about me keeping the kids,” she said. “He’s never once called and asked to see them. Then I’ll wake up and see it on Twitter that I’m keeping the kids. It’s not true. It’s a divorce — not a kidnapping.”

Kim emphasized that she doesn’t have the “luxury of walking away” entirely, given their shared parenting responsibilities, adding that she tries to avoid engaging with false narratives circulating on social media.

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Kim’s Life After Divorce

Since finalizing her split from West, Kim has focused on expanding her career beyond reality television. She has taken on acting roles, continued growing her SKIMS empire, and balanced her business ventures with motherhood.

In her conversation on The Kardashians, Kim reflected that while she once felt obligated to “save” Kanye, she now recognizes the importance of boundaries and self-preservation.

“For a long time, I didn’t realize how much it affected me,” she shared. “But I’m finally learning to protect my peace — for myself and my kids.”