Kim Kardashian has opened up about her experience co-parenting her children with former husband Kanye “Ye” West after the rapper recently came under fire for racist and antisemitic behavior.
During Sunday’s episode of the “Angie Martinez IRL” podcast, the reality TV star and beauty mogul shed tears while detailing her efforts to shield her children from the controversy surrounding their infamous father. Kardashian and West — whose divorce was finalized this month — share four kids: North (9), Saint (7), Chicago (4) and Psalm (3).
“I definitely protected him, and I still will in the eyes of my kids — for my kids,” Kardashian told Martinez.
“In my home, my kids don’t know anything that goes on [in] the outside world. … I’m holding on by a thread. I know I’m so close to that not happening, but while it’s still that way, I will protect that to the end of the Earth — as long as I can.”
Asked how she has managed to hide West’s recent public downfall from their children, Kardashian explained that she has become “best friends” with their teachers so she can keep tabs on what they are exposed to at school — in addition to taking preventative measures at home, such as limiting their access to social media (“North has a TikTok account on my phone and my phone only”) and curating what they watch on TV.
She added that none of her children’s schoolmates have “ever said anything” to them about their dad’s current situation.
“Of course I want to disassociate [from West] in specific thoughts and things being said because that’s not me,” Kardashian continued.
“But if we’re riding to school, and they want to listen to their dad’s music — no matter what we’re going through, no matter what is happening in the world — I have to have that smile on my face and blast his music and sing along with my kids and act like nothing’s wrong. As soon as I drop them off, I can have a good cry or text back and do what I gotta do.”
Beginning to cry, Kardashian said she didn’t “want to get emotional” but admitted it had “been a day” before elaborating on her relationships with her third ex-husband and her late father, attorney Robert Kardashian.
In February 2021, Kardashian filed for divorce from West. Nearly two years later, the pair reached a settlement requiring West to pay $200,000 a month to Kardashian for child support.
“It’s hard,” Kardashian said, wiping her eyes. “Co-parenting, it’s really f— hard.”
“And I had the best dad,” she added. “And I have the best memories and the greatest experience, and that’s all I want for my kids … If they don’t know things that are being said or what’s happening in the world, why would I ever bring that energy to them? That’s like real heavy, heavy grown-up s— that they’re not ready to deal with. And when they are, we’ll have those conversations … and I’ll be so prepared. But until then, I’ll do anything to like keep their life as normal as possible.”
Since filing for divorce, Kardashian said she has finally “started to slowly feel that separation” from West despite previously feeling as if she had to shoulder much of the media scrutiny directed at her ex-husband.
“I used to really feel that way,” she said. “I think that will always follow me.”
