Kim opens up about her “toxic” marriage to Kanye West and the emotional chaos behind closed doors

Kim Kardashian has spoken candidly for the first time about the chaos and emotional strain she endured during her marriage to Kanye West, describing their relationship as “toxic” and saying she “didn’t feel safe” living with the unpredictable rapper.

The 44-year-old reality star, who shares four children — North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm — with West, revealed how difficult it was to walk away from the relationship after years of trying to make it work. Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, Kim reflected on the emotional toll of her marriage and the struggles of co-parenting following their high-profile divorce.

The couple married in 2014 in a lavish ceremony in Florence, Italy, and quickly became one of the most talked-about partnerships in the world. But behind the glamorous façade, Kim said, life was often chaotic. “When someone has their first mental break, you want to be super supportive and help them figure that out,” she said. “But when someone isn’t willing to make changes that I think would’ve been healthy and beneficial, it makes it really hard to continue on in a relationship that can be toxic.”

Kanye, 48, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016, although he later claimed he was misdiagnosed. Kim said she stayed for years hoping his condition would stabilise, but the relationship only became more unpredictable. “Having children made it difficult for me to leave,” she admitted. “But I realised I had to save myself in order to be a better mum for everyone. I think when they’re older, they’ll be able to understand that.”

The couple’s divorce was finalised in November 2022, seven years after Kim filed for separation citing “irreconcilable differences.” While the pair agreed to share joint custody of their children, their post-marriage relationship has remained complicated, often playing out under the glare of public scrutiny.

During the podcast, Kim described moments of emotional and financial instability that left her feeling helpless. “I mean, we had five Lamborghinis,” she recalled. “I’d come home and they’d all be gone if he was in an episode. I’d ask, ‘Where are the cars?’ and he’d say he gave them away to his friends. Then we’d have five new ones, and they’d disappear again. You didn’t know what you were going to get when you woke up — it was a really unsettling feeling. A lack of stability.”

She said that the unpredictability extended to family relationships. “There was just a lot of stuff I couldn’t deal with,” she explained. “I didn’t like the talking badly about my kids’ grandmother and aunts. If someone feels that way, then we shouldn’t be together. Airing out a lot of personal things publicly — that was the final straw.”

Kim admitted that she was drawn to Kanye’s intelligence and charisma early in their relationship. “He was larger than life, and we had such a fun time together,” she said. But as his behaviour became increasingly erratic, the dynamic changed. “It just got to the point where it wasn’t sustainable anymore.”

Despite the turbulent past, Kim said she continues to focus on maintaining a healthy environment for their children. “Co-parenting is hard,” she said. “But I’m doing my best to make sure my kids always feel loved and protected. That’s all that matters.”

Her honesty about the marriage has been widely praised by fans, many of whom have long suspected the toll her relationship with Kanye took behind the scenes. For Kim, the decision to speak publicly was about reclaiming her story. “It’s important for me that my kids one day understand that setting boundaries isn’t selfish — it’s necessary,” she said.

Though her marriage may be over, Kim insists she remains hopeful about the future. “I’ve learned so much about what I want and what I won’t tolerate,” she concluded. “And I’ll never apologise for choosing peace.”