Kim’s £10m exit plan to start a new life without Kanye
An image rebrand could prove costly for Kim Kardashian amid her ‘impending’ divorce from Kanye – and there are fears for his welfare
❛ SHE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING FOR HERSELF AND PROVE HER WORTH ❜
Any hopes of a reconciliation between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were cut short last week, after they seemingly spent Valentine’s Day apart following persistent rumours that the couple are set to divorce.
Days later, Kanye was pictured looking glum and, despite wearing his wedding band, there were growing fears for his wellbeing as sources said he was “not doing well” as he “knows what he is losing in Kim.”
Multiple sources have confirmed the pair’s six-year marriage is over and that divorce is “imminent”, with Kim allegedly hiring celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who she also used in her divorce from Kris Humphries in 2011 after just 72 days of marriage. And now sources tell Closer that Kim – who has a combined worth of over £1.6 billion and a £47 million mansion in LA with Kanye – has been secretly working on an exit plan to ensure her career continues to thrive post-divorce.
A source says, “Kim is very aware of how much she’s cashed in from being part of a celebrity power couple. While she built a successful career in her own right long before Kanye came along, she’s conscious of how much she’s benefited from dating one of the most famous rappers in the world.
HEAVY PRICE
“Now she’s facing going it alone once again – and even though she is worth a huge amount of money, it means her exit plan will also come at a heavy price.”
News of the impending break-up came after Kanye, 43, sensationally claimed, during his first presidential rally in North Carolina, that he and Kim, 40, had discussed aborting their daughter North, now seven, before continuing with the pregnancy.
Kanye – who was suffering from a bipolar episode at the time – later slated Kim’s family, calling his mother-in-law
Kris Jenner, “Kris Jong-un” in reference to the North Korean dictator, while even falsely accusing his wife of having an
affair with rival rapper, Meek Mill, which he denied.
And last month, Kim – who shares Saint, five, Chicago, three, and Psalm, two, with Kanye, as well as North – was pictured without her £1 million engagement ring.
Although Kim is said to be saddened that Kanye is struggling – with sources saying she “doesn’t want to hurt him” and will encourage him to see their kids – she is pushing forward with the divorce.
The insider says, “Kim is torn because, even though the marriage is over, he is the father of her kids and she fears for his wellbeing, so she has been encouraging him to FaceTime them as much as possible.”
The estranged couple are said to be fighting over how to split their assets, although sources tell Closer Kim is eager for a “complete fresh start” which includes buying a new home, which is likely to set her back tens of millions.
On top of that will be a hefty bill to “rebrand as a single woman”. The source explains, “Kim and Kanye have made a lot of money as a couple, so of course the divorce will be costly to both sides. But Kim is also budgeting a minimum of £10 million to carve out a new life away from Kanye by hiring a team of experts, who have no links to her husband, to help her rebrand. She knows she needs to work hard to repair the damage caused by her marriage collapse and to create her new identity as a single woman. All of that comes at a price.”
At the top of her agenda for her new life is pursuing a more “serious” image by moving away from her “famous for being famous” status and working towards her long-term dream of becoming a lawyer.
Kim – who made her name and fortune after a sex tape with her ex, singer Ray J, was leaked in 2007 – announced she was studying to become a lawyer in 2019, embarking on a four-year apprenticeship with a law firm in San Francisco.
PRISONERS’ RIGHTS
She has already passed her first “baby bar” exam and will take the California bar in 2022, in the hope of eventually starting her own law firm. She’s even fought for prisoners’ rights and has worked with the White House on criminal justice reform issues since
2018. The reality star has reportedly helped in almost 3,000 inmates’ cases.
Last month, she celebrated her latest victory – the release of Chris Young, who was dealt a life sentence for a conviction of marijuana and cocaine possession in 2014 – after appealing to the White House to grant clemency.
Yet Kim’s background in reform spans over a decade – long before she met and married Kanye. The source says now is the “perfect time” for Kim to achieve her legal dream.
“Kim will always be a socialite and influencer but she is keen to make more of a difference in life and for her legacy to be more than just a reality star,” says the insider. “Kim is hugely intelligent and, coupled with her profile, she could be the right person to make a difference to people’s lives.
“This isn’t a new thing to her, it’s been her goal for a long time. But now she can push forward with it. KUWTK has finished filming and, even though she’s heading for divorce with Kanye, it means the drama around her marriage is over and she can commit more to her own dreams and passions.
“Kim feels she’s been a good wife to Kanye. She supported his music career and followed his lead the majority of the time. But now she has the opportunity to do something for herself and prove her worth.”
FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS
Kim’s ambitions mirror that of her late father and lawyer, Robert Kardashian, who passed away when she was just 22. She’s said, “On weekends, I would always snoop and look through [the evidence files]. I was nosy about the forensics.”
And it seems her impending divorce has spurred her on to follow in her father’s footsteps.
The source adds, “Knowing how proud her father would be helps keep her motivated, so does being a good role model to her own kids, which is why she wants to do something to make a positive change in the world. If anything, her split from
Kanye only makes her stronger.” By Zara Zubeidi