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Bella Breakdown
Arguably, she’s the most down to earth member of the Kar-Jenner clan.
Somewhere between the youngest self-made billionaire (Kylie Jenner) and the one that sparked it all with a home video that, essentially, propelled the family into superstardom (Kim Kardashian, with help of mastermind momager, Kris Jenner), falls Khloe Kardashian, 35 – a woman that has experienced deep pain, extreme public betrayal, scrutiny regarding her appearance and so much more. Through it all, she’s somehow managed to keep her infectious sense of humor, appear as humble as possible under the very strange consequences (she is, after all, a millionaire) and make us all feel for her, every step of the way.
When “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” premiered in 2007 (not a typo!), it essentially focused on Kim, with the rest of the family acting as human mise-en-scène. Things quickly changed, when a fan began responding to Khloe’s perfectly-timed remarks (often peppered with swear words, which she also, made seem endearing), lovingly putting her sisters in their place, while being brutally honest about her own difficulties.
We learned, early on, that Khloe suffered from depression, following the passing of the Kardashian sisters’ father, Robert, in 2003. She was candid about the spiral she had experienced following the tragic and fairly sudden death of her father, which made her turn to food. “I gained so much weight because I was so internally…just suppressing so many things that it was like eating me alive. And I was literally eating everything,” Khloe has said in an interview.
Her issues with weight and body image came to the forefront when the reality TV show gained popularity and the relentless comparisons with her sisters’ figure, versus her own, began to make headlines.
Her ability to turn it all around — and then some — came from a development deal with E! to host her own show, “Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian” which focuses on helping people with those same issues fight the internal and external battle of the bulge, with help of Kardashian herself and a team of experts.
Then, there’s her love life.
Following a whirlwind (less than a month!) courtship, Khloe walked down the aisle with basketball player Lamar Odom, 40, in 2009. Everything seemed picture-perfect, for a little while. And then, it really, really, didn’t. The star filed for divorce in December 2013, amid reports of Odom’s drug use and continuous cheating. Soon after the split had been announced, disturbing details of Odom’s issues with addiction – which had been a major factor in the relationship’s demise – kept on flooding in, as it became painfully obvious that Kardashian had been harboring this huge burden, secretly, for the entire duration of their marriage.
As if the struggles she had faced with Odom during their marriage weren’t enough, the true test of her strength and character became crystal clear as she stood by Odom after his near-fatal overdose at a Las Vegas brothel in 2015. Putting aside her personal feelings, she didn’t leave her ex’s side until he was out of the woods. As reported at the time, Kardashian pulled back on the divorce proceedings, which had already been initiated, so that she could care for Odom as his next of kin. Their divorce, however, was finalized at the end of 2016.
She was really due for some luck in the love department and the public was truly rooting for Khloe to catch a break – and then came, Tristan Thompson.
After the Lamar ordeal, things with Tristan, another professional basketball player (perhaps this pattern should be looked at?!) seemed very calm and drama-less. He showered her with gifts and attention, and their connection seemed effortlessly deep.
When they announced that they would be welcome a baby together – first for Kardashian herself, while Thomson had already fathered a child with an ex that was born as he began dating Khloe – it seemed as if all the pieces were finally coming together.
Not. So. Fast.
When Kardashian was just days from giving birth (to daughter True, now 1), reports came out that Thompson was caught cheating, including video proof that went viral. More so than that, he was called a “serial cheater” by many sources, saying that he’d been unfaithful to Kardashian for a long time.
Following the birth of their daughter, while disturbed by the reports (which Thompson did not deny), Khloe focused on motherhood and gave her very best to try to be the best possible version of herself for True – which included efforts of trying to keep their family together. Everyone did seem afloat for a while, mainly due to Khloe’s efforts to spend as much time as possible in Cleveland, where Thomson’s NBA team was based.
In February 2019, arguably the most shocking charting scandal of the year hit the news. Sadly, it leads to another humongous hit for Khloe, as Tristan had been caught cheating, again. This time, the other party was Kylie Jenner’s best friend and close family friend of the entire family, Jordyn Woods. The fallout from the scandal had everyone devastated, leading Kardashian to pull the plug on her relationship with Thompson, for good this time.
Khloe continues to rise above the hardships that have defined her, seemingly charmed life, any many ways. She focuses on motherhood, her thriving businesses and her health, showing those around her – and of those who follow her, via the path she has chosen – that she has a lot to offer, a lot to say and a lot of good things to mimic – apart from just glamming up.
