Kim Kardashian Says She Had ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ with Ex Kanye West: ‘It’s a Divorce, Not a Kidnapping’

Kim Kardashian is not holding back as she reflects on her seven-year marriage to Kanye West.

On the season 7 premiere of The Kardashians, the 45-year-old was in between takes on the set of All’s Fair — the Ryan Murphy series she’s leading alongside Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts and Niecy Nash-Betts — when she got candid about her relationship with her ex, with whom she shares four kids.

“I haven’t had psoriasis since I got divorced, and it just started coming back,” she revealed, as she said she recently felt “pretty tested” by West, whom she married in 2014 and divorced in 2021.

“I mean, I have psoriasis again,” she said by way of proving how she’s doing. “I felt more stressed, probably just because I had to super, super protect what I had to protect.”

In a confessional, the mom of four was asked what’s “going through her mind” when she sees erratic behavior from West. “My poor kids,” she said. “Everyone around can handle it, but like, protect my babies.”

Kardashian insisted that she’s particularly focused on protecting their kids — North, 12, Saint, 9, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6 — revealing that recently one of them heard about some of their dad’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 — is just to make sure that they’re protected.”

Reflecting on her relationship with the rapper, 48, and her decision to divorce him, Kim admitted she “always felt like I had a bit of Stockholm syndrome” with West.

“I always felt really bad and always protected and always wanted to help [him],” she said, revealing she would think to herself, “I should’ve stuck it out” or “I could’ve helped,” but “this was the first time I didn’t feel that responsibility personally.”

“It is so f—— sad,” she added of where things stand between them.

During the episode, Kim also shut down the narrative that she has the “luxury of walking away and not dealing [with him] ever again.”

“That’s not my reality. This person — we have 4 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].”

“But then I’ll wake up, and it’s on Twitter that I’m keeping the kids,” she continued. “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.”

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New episodes of The Kardashians drop Thursdays on Hulu.