Kardashian and Thompson dated for several years amid cheating rumors and share two children together

Khloé Kardashian; Tristan Thompson.Credit : SHEIN X 100K Challenge 2021/Getty; George Pimentel/Getty

Khloé Kardashian opened up to Jay Shetty on the May 5 episode of his On Purpose podcast about how infidelity became a pattern in her past relationships.
The NBA player first cheated on Kardashian days before she gave birth to their daughter True, and later got another woman pregnant while their surrogate was carrying their second child, Tatum.
Kardashian explained how she broke the cycle after years of blaming herself “for everything.”

Khloé Kardashian is only human!

The Good American founder, 40, appeared on the May 5 episode of Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, where she reflected on the pattern of infidelity in her relationships. While she often felt shame for “allowing that to happen,” Kardashian explained that her dynamic with Tristan Thompson eventually helped break the cycle.

“Well, the interesting part is, I think the very first time it happened, I didn’t [make a change],” she admitted, referring to the NBA player’s 2018 cheating scandal while Kardashian was just days away from giving birth to their first child together, True. “And that’s okay, because it’s done. And I also had to forgive myself for that. There was a time that I felt very guilty, like, why did I even stay? Why am I not forgiving myself? I would blame myself for everything.”

Tristan Thompson and Khloé Kardashian.Jerritt Clark/Getty

The pair attempted to reconcile over the next few years, but they split again after news that Thompson was expecting a baby with another woman in 2021. Seven months later, Kardashian announced that she and Thompson had welcomed their second child via surrogate.

“The second time, you know, my surrogate was still pregnant with Tatum, and the people didn’t know yet that I was having Tatum,” she told Shetty. “But I felt such shame that it was happening again, because I knew I knew better.”

“I think people also need to be patient with themselves,” the reality star added. “If you’re not feeling accountable in some of the actions that you’re making or what someone else is doing to you, that’s okay. There will be a day that you will wake up — and listen, if I was watching me when I was in my 20s, I would be judging that person too, and being like, ‘She’s so stupid. It’s going to happen again.’ I don’t blame people for their judgment.”

To Kardashian, life is all about learning from your experiences, and she said she isn’t going to close herself off to seeking happiness in the future just because of her past.

“People are always so surprised that I’m not more cynical when it comes to love,” she explained. “They always ask, ‘Do you ever think you’re gonna get married again?’ And I go, ‘Yes, I hope I’m gonna get married again.’ I think marriage is the most beautiful union that there is, and I love that. I love family.”

“I probably am more joyful now, especially with love, than maybe five years ago,” she noted. “And it’s because I feel like I know how to control myself more. Where before, you just give things so freely. And I love giving love. I love loving myself, loving my family and others. But I feel like I’m a little bit wiser with whom I give it to.”

Although she and Thompson have struggled to be on good terms following his indiscretions, Kardashian revealed she always held a special place for him in her heart as the father of her children. That’s why, when his mom Andrea died in January 2023 and Thompson’s house was under construction, Kardashian had him and his brother Amari — who has a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) — live at her house.

“Tristan and I were not speaking at this time. Like, there was not a chance I would speak to him,” she recalled. “And when Andrea passed away, I remember having Amari and Tristan move in with me. Because, yes, he could have gone to a hotel, but Tristan and Amari both needed to be not isolated. They both lost their mother. Amari needs special living arrangements, caretakers, there’s a lot that comes with Amari. And so I was like, live here, your kids are here.”

“I got so much crap for that,” she shared. “And I’m thinking, ‘You guys think this is weak? I wasn’t speaking to this man 15 minutes ago, and now I’m offering to give my house here.’ And that, to me, takes so much more strength. And also to walk around the house in front of my kids and smile, because I’m not fighting in front of my kids. I don’t do stuff like that.”