Kanye West Causes ‘Stress’ and ‘Frustration’ for Kim Kardashian — But the Kids Are ‘Sad’ When He Isn’t Around
Kim Kardashian and ex-husband Kanye West share four children: North, 11, Saint, 9, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 5. The couple spent more than a decade together but went through a high-profile divorce in 2022 after West’s actions caused major tension in their relationship.
West and Kardashian have always been able to keep things amicable between them, but recently, West’s behavior — including various antisemitic rants — has been hard for Kardashian to deal with. But a source close to Kardashian says her kids hate when their father isn’t around.
Kim Kardashian’s kids are reportedly ‘sad’ when Kanye West isn’t around
In early 2025, West actually claimed in an interview that he never wanted to have kids with Kardashian. The comment cut deep, but Kardashian has reportedly tried to shield her kids from any of their father’s wrongdoings. Still, it has created “stress” and “frustration” for the reality star and mogul as she tries to navigate life and figure out how close her kids should be to their father.
“When Kanye’s not around, it’s very sad for the kids. North especially asks to see him,” a source close to the family told People. “But when he is around, many times it causes frustration and stress for Kim.”
The source continued, “She can’t stand when he acts irrational. She wants the kids to spend time with him in a safe environment. She finds it ridiculous that she needs her lawyer on speed dial.”
Kardashian has butted heads with West’s decisions on a number of occasions, including calling an emergency custody hearing after her security team told her Andrew and Tristan Tate would be in the same place as North (the Tate brothers recently faced sex crimes charges). Things have been difficult for Kardashian in terms of trying to balance her kids’ relationship with their father and always keeping them safe.
Kanye West continues to be caught up in controversy
West has not been able to stay out of the spotlight. Whether it’s concerns over his (now previous) relationship with Bianca Censori or his antisemitic X rants, West is always in the news for something other than his music. He recently made headlines once again after showing up for an interview with DJ Akademiks dressed in a black Ku Klux Klan outfit. During the interview, he said he never wanted to have kids with his ex-wife, Kardashian. “I didn’t want to have children with this person after the first two months of being with them, but that wasn’t God’s plan.”
West also recently featured both Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and his daughter North on a song, which reportedly only added to the tension between him and Kardashian.
