Kim Kardashian says she felt ‘Stockholm syndrome’ with Kanye West while co-parenting

Highlights

• Kim Kardashian described feeling a sense of “Stockholm syndrome” during her marriage to Kanye West.
• She emphasized her priority is protecting their four children amid West’s erratic behavior.
• Kardashian clarified that public narratives about her custody decisions are often inaccurate.

Feeling tested after divorce

During the season 7 premiere of The Kardashians, Kardashian, 45, spoke candidly about the stress she experienced during and after her marriage to West, whom she married in 2014 and divorced in 2021.
She revealed that her psoriasis, which had been under control, resurfaced due to stress related to protecting her family. “I felt more stressed, probably just because I had to super, super protect what I had to protect,” she said.

Protecting the kids

Kardashian, mother of four, North, 12; Saint, 9; Chicago, 7; and Psalm, 6, shared that her primary focus is shielding them from the impact of West’s behavior.
“They’re gonna know things. They’re gonna grow up, they’re gonna see. So my job as a mom is to just make sure that, at a time when that behavior is happening, they’re protected,” she explained.

Reflecting on her marriage

Looking back, Kardashian admitted she often felt she had a bit of Stockholm syndrome with West, explaining that she would feel responsible for him and think, “I should’ve stuck it out” or “I could’ve helped.”
“I always felt really bad and always protected and always wanted to help,” she said. “This was the first time I didn’t feel that responsibility personally.”

She described the situation between them as “so f------- sad.”

Addressing public misconceptions

Kardashian also addressed rumors suggesting she could easily cut off contact with West. She emphasized the complexity of co-parenting four children and the challenges of navigating public narratives.
“That’s not my reality. This person, we have four kids together. It’s very confusing, because it’ll be all this talk on the internet of like, ‘I’m keeping the kids.’ He’s never once called and asked [to see them],” she said.
“But then I’ll wake up, and it’s on Twitter that I’m keeping the kids. When it’s not true and not rational, I just have to … I can’t engage all the time. It’s a divorce, not a kidnapping.”