Kim Kardashian Reflects on Parents’ Tension During O.J. Simpson Trial, Their Split and Divorce Discussions With Her Own Children
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Kim Kardashian, along with several members of her family, is reflecting on how the Kardashian family has handled two divorces: First, parents Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner, and now Kim’s split from Ye.
The reality star, socialite and owner of multiple businesses opened up about both family situations as part of a cover story for GQ‘s 2023 Men of the Year issue. Much of the lengthy profile explores how Kardashian’s father Robert — the attorney and businessman who gained national recognition for being O.J. Simpson’s friend and part of his defense team during his 1995 murder trial — influenced and shaped Kim through her rise to international fame, including her TV, business and legal aspirations.
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Within that, Kardashian reflects with her siblings and friends on how she and the family have navigated two separate splits — from her parents’ 1991 divorce to her own divorce from rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), which was finalized in November of last year.
Her parents’ split had already unfolded before the 1995 trial that saw her mother and father on opposite sides of the courtroom, with Jenner being a friend of the former NFL player’s murdered ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson. During that separation — in which Robert initially backtracked on agreeing to a separation and Kris, “feeling trapped” (per her memoir), engaged in a three-month affair — the Kardashian siblings had different levels of exposure to their parents’ fraying relationship.
“Just being the oldest, I would overhear things,” Kourtney said. “I remember one night hearing them whisper-arguing. My parents never fought my whole life, so it was traumatizing when they did.”
Kim said she was less in the know, only getting a feeling that it was coming after her parents called a meeting. “I didn’t foresee any of it,” she told the magazine. “I was in the bath and they called a family meeting. I remember thinking, ‘Please, Lord, don’t let them be getting a divorce.’ I never had an inkling that it would happen, but I knew that was what they were going to tell us. I felt it.”
Kim went on to describe the 15 months between the Simpson trial arraignment and acquittal — which took place three years after the divorce — as “really tough for our family.”
During that time, Kim said her father brought her and one of her sisters to school to witness the trial, without telling Kris. “My dad pulled Kourtney and me out of school,” Kim says. “He said, ‘I want you girls to witness a piece of history and what a trial is like.’ We walked in and saw my mom sitting on the other side. She said, ‘You’re supposed to be in school. What are you doing here?’ Kourtney and I didn’t even look at her.
“Kourtney and I were drawn to our dad,” she added about the time. “We felt like Mom was happily remarried, so we would live with Dad. We didn’t want him to be by himself.”
Thirty years later, Kim would experience her own divorce from Ye, something she said she went to personal therapy for early on, but has since turned mostly to parenting advice, with her friends available to address other issues.
“I tried a little bit before my marriage ended,” she explained. “I do have a therapist that only deals in child psychology that I talk to to get parenting tips and advice. Sometimes I feel challenged by parenting. But I have the best group of friends, and we talk about everything together, so that to me is therapy. I hit the lottery, the fucking Mega Ball of friends.”
While talking about the impacts of her own divorce, the Skims founder acknowledged that she does get emotional about things. “Just because I know how to manage my stress well doesn’t mean that I don’t feel the emotions,” she said. “If I’m sad, of course I will cry and feel it.”
But Kim is ultimately focused on making sure her three children with Ye can feel like they’re supported and have a parent who is open — like she did when her parents were divorcing.
“I did think about how my parents handled it with us. I just remember them being open,” she said. “Ultimately, what matters is that kids feel loved and heard. You want to be sensitive because they’re just kids, and it’s hard to go through no matter what age. You have to make sure that you only go to a level that they can understand. It’s okay to show a vulnerable side. You never go to a negative side.”
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