‘KUWTK’: Some Fans Say They Respect Kim Kardashian for Not Wanting to Address the Kanye Situation

Keeping Up with the Kardashians may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean that we can expect to see fewer headlines about the Kardashian-Jenner sisters and their personal lives. In fact, without the show to provide a stream of updates, it’s possible that we’ll be turning to even more speculation and rumor to keep tabs on the women who have grown up in the spotlight. 

This is especially true as the details of Kim Kardashian’s high-profile divorce from Kanye West loom large in the pop culture world. 

While many are clamoring for details about the split and what’s next for the couple as they navigate co-parenting and what juicy details to spill to the public, others are respectful of Kardashian’s wish to keep things cordial and private. 

Kim Kardashian rose to fame by sharing personal details of her life

While it’s easy to criticize fans for being nosy and obsessive over celebrities’ personal lives, it’s also somewhat understandable when it comes to Kim Kardashian’s fans. After all, the star’s entire rise to fame is founded on her tendency to share — some would say overshare — about her personal life. 

From the earliest days of the Kardashians’ public debut, Kim Kardashian has been the central figure of the family’s thrust into the spotlight. Beginning with a “leaked” sex tape — that many believe was intentionally shared with the public for publicity — Kim Kardashian has frequently put her relationships in the spotlight. 

Over the years, Kardashian had many high-profile relationships that kept fans talking and filled tabloid headlines. From her 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries to her date with Nick Lachey following his divorce from Jessica Simpson, Kardashian knew how to leverage her relationships to stay relevant. 

Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kanye West was dismissed as a publicity stunt

It’s perhaps understandable that fans were skeptical when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West first started dating. After all, Kim Kardashian was “famous for being famous,” and Kanye West was primarily known for his outlandish and outrageous comments that seemed calculated to keep him in the public eye. 

The couple had known each other for years, but they officially started dating in late 2011, just after Kardashian’s very public divorce from Kris Humphries. Many people dismissed the relationship as nothing more than a publicity stunt, but Kardashian and West proved these critics wrong. They went on to a loving — if somewhat unconventional — marriage that produced many children and a decade of support for one another’s respective careers. 

Fans are torn on Kim Kardashian’s handling of her divorce

Of course, now that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have officially announced their impending divorce, the fans who have watched their love story unfold are invested in hearing the details. Some even speculated that the divorce might be timed to become a storyline on the final season of KUWTK. 

Now, though, it seems clear that Kardashian is planning to keep the personal details of her divorce to herself, and fans are torn. Many fans have come out on Kardashian’s side, pointing to evidence that she worked hard to make the marriage work despite many tumultuous moments over the years. 

Some of these fans also have respect for Kardashian’s decision to not talk about her divorce for the show. Others, however, feel it’s a hypocrisy. One Reddit poster noted that Kardashian’s sisters seemed pressure to share their relationship woes with the world: “It’s just not sitting well with me that Kourt & Khlo had to exploit their breakups/ humiliation on TV, but when it’s Kim ‘I don’t wanna talk about it on camera.'”

Some were quick to jump to Kim Kardashian’s defense: “I feel like the situations are totally different. He was some hot guy Kourtney was dating for fun, the perfect kind of frivolous fodder for the show. The Kanye stuff is deep, medically serious, and going to have a much bigger impact on her children than that fling of Kourtney’s would on hers.” 

Others pointed out that Kanye West also has a say in what gets shared. “Scott and Tristan are willing participants in the show, Kanye is not,” one commenter noted. 

Whether we like it or not, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have the right to choose which details they share and which they keep hidden. Fans will surely keep speculating and hunting for more, but it seems like — for now — the stars themselves are keeping it quiet.