In a deeply personal interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Kim Kardashian shared candid insights into the difficult decision to divorce Kanye West (now known as Ye), citing his unwillingness to address mental health challenges and an increasingly “toxic” environment as the core reasons she “had to save herself” for the sake of her children.
Four years after Kim Kardashian and Ye formally ended their marriage, the reality star and entrepreneur is speaking out about the “final straw” that led to their separation. Her recent appearance on Alex Cooper’s widely popular Call Her Daddy podcast provided a raw and vulnerable look into the challenges she faced, particularly concerning Ye’s mental health struggles.
The Unraveling: Mental Health and Unwillingness to Change
Kardashian reflected on the early signs, admitting, “People can say that there was, like, signs and maybe I wasn’t paying attention to them.” She emphasized the initial desire to be supportive when someone experiences their “first mental break,” wanting to help them figure things out and be there for them. However, she explained that the situation became untenable when Ye wasn’t “willing to make changes” that she believed would be “super healthy and beneficial.”
In 2018, Kanye West publicly revealed he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This announcement followed his 2016 hospitalization for a “psychiatric emergency” after canceling his Saint Pablo tour. Despite the challenges, Kim initially sought to support him through these periods, but the lack of progress and his resistance to making necessary changes ultimately created a “toxic” environment.
The Final Straw: When Unpredictability Became Unbearable
Kardashian detailed several “deal breakers” that marked her breaking point. A major concern was Ye’s tendency to publicly air out private family business, stating, “I didn’t like the feeling of someone talking bad about my kids’ grandmothers and aunts.” This public discourse created an “unsettling feeling,” as she never knew which version of her husband she would encounter each morning.
The sense of unpredictability extended to her feeling unsafe “emotionally or financially.” She recounted an alarming instance where she returned home to find the couple’s five Lamborghinis missing during one of Ye’s “episodes.” “I’d be like, ‘Oh, wait. Where where’s all our cars? Like, my new car.’ And it would be like, oh, he gave them away to all of his friends,” she revealed. This type of erratic behavior, she explained, highlighted a fundamental lack of security in the relationship.
Prioritizing Motherhood: The Decision to ‘Save Myself’
With four young children—North, 12, Saint, 9, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6—Kardashian’s primary motivation for leaving was to protect them and ensure she could be the best mother possible. “When you have kids, it’s definitely harder to leave than it is to stay,” she acknowledged. The constant stress and unpredictability began to affect her own mental health, impacting her ability to parent effectively.
“Once my mental health starts to get affected and then I can’t parent the way that I need to and I can’t be present and focused, then there’s gotta be one of us that can,” Kardashian explained. Her decision to divorce Ye ultimately stemmed from a profound need to “save myself in order to be a better mom for everyone.” She expressed confidence that her children would understand her choices as they grew older.
The Journey to Separation and Life After
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s relationship began in 2012, leading to their marriage two years later. She filed for divorce in 2021, and their separation was finalized in March 2022. Despite the public complexities that followed, Kardashian maintains a commitment to co-parenting with Ye.
Since her divorce, Kardashian’s romantic life has been notably quiet, save for a brief relationship with Pete Davidson from October 2021 to August 2022. She has largely focused on her billion-dollar businesses and her four children. Interestingly, her eldest daughter, North, now 12, has even offered her mother unsolicited dating advice, candidly suggesting, “Mom, you’ve got to get remarried. you’re getting too old and no one is going to deal with this.”
A Decade of Love, Not a Failure
Despite the pain and challenges, Kardashian refuses to view her past marriage as a failure. “An over a decade relationship with four beautiful children is not a failure,” she stated firmly. Her perspective reflects a woman who has found strength and clarity through difficult experiences, prioritizing her family’s well-being above all else.
For fans interested in hearing Kim Kardashian’s full, candid account, the entire interview is available to watch.
