Are Kim Kardashian West and Ray J Friends?
Kim Kardashian West and Ray J have a sordid past that’s been made public over the years. Throughout their post-relationship history, the reality TV star and R&B singer have exchanged words via social media and interviews. Each has revealed there’s more to their infamous story than many believe. Over the years, Kardashian West and Ray J have moved on, started families of their own, and seemingly squashed any lingering beef. Does this mean the two are amicable — or even friends?
Kim Kardashian West and Ray J’s early love story
Long before Kim Kardashian West became a part of the Keeping Up With the Kardashians empire. She was the daughter of divorced couple, Kris Jenner, and famed OJ Simpson attorney, Robert Kardashian, living a simpler life.
In 2003, Kardashian West was just 23 years old dating 22-year-old R&B singer, producer, and actor, Ray J — Brandy Norwood’s younger brother. This relationship came around her divorce to music producer, Damon Thomas, whom she married at the age of 19.
“I got married on ecstasy,” the reality admitted on a previous episode of KUWTK. Kardashian West later alleged Thomas emotionally and physically abused her. Kardashian West and Ray J — aka Willie Norwood — met during the heated divorce trial while she worked as Brandy’s stylist and as Paris Hilton’s personal assistant.
They dated on-again-off-again for three years before calling it quits. However, it wasn’t the end of their names in the headlines.
A leaked sex tape caused years of drama
In October of the couple’s first year, Kardashian West and Ray J went on a luxury vacation to Cabo, Mexico, to celebrate Kardashian West’s birthday. One thing led to another, on film, that surfaced a year after the breakup.
Kardashian West and Ray J’s sex tape was picked up for distribution by Vivid Entertainment who reportedly paid millions for the footage. In the early days of its existence, Kardashian West denied any involvement. She eventually sued and settled with the company for $5 million.
“We are pleased that Kim has dropped her legal action against us, we met with her several times and finally reached a financial arrangement that we both feel is fair,” the company’s chairman said at the time, per TMZ.
Claims were later made that Kardashian’s West’s own mother, [Kris] Jenner, leaked the video.
“A mutual friend of Kim and Paris [Hilton] had advised her that if she wanted to achieve fame, a sex tape would be the way to go . . . Kim had discussed the idea of producing a tape with her family beforehand,” Ian Halperin’s 2016 book Kardashian Dynasty said.
It’s unclear if those rumors are true. Regardless, the drama didn’t begin or end when the sex tape settlement came.
Are Kardashian West and Ray J friends now?
While the attention of the sex tape — which was viewed more than 150 million times — helped the Kardashians obtain KUWTK in 2007, Kardashian’s personal life continued to be the focus of public scrutiny. She married NBA basketball player, Kris Humphries in 2011 and divorced in 2013. Her marriage to Kanye [West] came around a year later.
Meanwhile, neither Kardashian West or Ray J has said too much about the situation aside from interview snippets cut down to size — until recent years.
In a previous interview with New York Magazine, Kardashian West responded to the notion of whether she considered the tape, or if similar tape relating to [her brother] Rob and Blac Chyna is “revenge porn.”
“Wow! I never even thought about that. I guess that question is a bit tricky. Not even for my situation, but because my brother did post photos of his baby mama and he’s in a revenge-porn lawsuit,” she said.
“Obviously, I get the difference. And I would talk about me. But I don’t know the right thing to say without making him feel like the biggest piece of s***.”
Around the same time, The Sun reported that Ray J had new claims about their relationship saying they had “marathon sessions” in the bedroom, and that if [Kardashian West] got sweaty, she would “stop to do her make-up if she did.”
Along with those claims, he added she “required the proper lighting, would take phone calls from momager Kris Jenner during sex, and had a red Louis Vuitton trunk of sex toys,” according to Entertainment Tonight.
Kardashian West said Ray J is a ‘pathological liar’
Kardashian West responded by tweeting her ex-boyfriend is a “pathological liar,” adding the whole thing is “too funny.” Ray J vehemently denied saying any of that.
Then, to make matters more complicated, Ray J’s wife, Princess Love, commented on a post by The Shade Room. One person asked, “Why is he talking about her and they’re both married?” Princess responded (then deleted), “I’m trying to figure out the same thing.”
In Dec. 2018, the former couple had another shakeup when never-before-seen footage leaked by Radar Online of Kardashian West and Ray J smoking marijuana together.
With all of that said, are Kardashian West and Ray J friends — or at least amicable? Ray J told BET they may not be best friends, but he has no beef with the West’s, adding he listen’s to [Kanye’s] music “all the time.”
“I don’t know him. I don’t know the dude at all but my sister and him are really close. They still talk,” he said. He went on to explain the sex tape did nothing for his career adding it actually got in the way.
“Back then, you don’t get invited to anything with any kind of substance. Even when it came out, I was like, ‘Damn. I’m done.’ Whatever my sister’s invited to, they’re going to put in a note saying, ‘Don’t bring Ray J!’ That was one of the biggest things that happened [to me]. Period,” he said.
“I want to be recognized for more than [the sex tape],” he said later. “But it doesn’t bother me.”
Kardashian West hasn’t said much on the matter as of late. She’s clearly moved on. Ray J recently defended Kardashian West’s braids during a segment on The Talk, proving exes can be somewhat amicable. The past is the past (until it comes up again). It doesn’t look like Ray J and Kardashian West will be hanging out any time soon.
