KIM BREAKS HER SILENCE

Tension with her family, as well as with husband Kanye West, spurs Kim Kardashian’s reality TV exit

In some ways, her future is a big question mark. On Sept. 8, Kim Kardashian announced with a “heavy heart” that Keeping Up With the Kardashians will end in early 2021 after 14 years and 20 seasons on the air. She’s since been spotted with cameras in tow, filming the final hours of the reality TV show that turned her, her siblings and momager Kris Jenner into household names. Insisting the family simply felt it was “the right time” to move on, Kris says that ending the series will give everyone a chance to “slow down a bit.”

But Life & Style has learned there’s far more to it for Kim. In the weeks since the big announcement, the mother of four has finally opened up to friends about what’s really going on, confessing why she felt she had no choice but to quit KUWTK. “For starters, she feels like she’s been cheated out of millions,” reveals a source. “As the manager for all of her kids, Kris always arranged family contracts with E! that were divided among the

“Kim has told pals that she’s desperate to have an independent life,” says a source. “She’s eager to stand on her own.” girls — and Kim’s told pals she deserves more than the share she’s gotten. Her sex tape is what first garnered the family attention, landing them the show, and she’s still the biggest draw.”

But even for the queen of sharing everything, husband Kanye West’s antics have grown to be too much. “Kim’s tired of having to face the cameras when her marriage is imploding,” says the source. “She’s embarrassed enough by Kanye’s behavior; Kim says she doesn’t need her misery broadcast to the world. When it comes to her relationships, Kim is at a breaking point.”

HER TUMULTUOUS MARRIAGE

Kanye’s never been easy to live with. But the past three months have been among the most difficult of his and Kim’s six-year marriage. In July, Kanye, 43, announced he was running for president as a member of the Birthday Party, then made a shocking personal revelation at his first campaign rally: He and Kim almost aborted their oldest child, North, 7. He then went on one of his epic Twitter rants, this time confessing he’d been “trying to get divorced” from Kim, 39, for months.” Kim was stunned,” says the source. “She called his comments the lowest of lows to her friends.”

In public, Kim merely addressed her spouse’s bipolar disorder, admitting that she’s struggled to help the rapper-designer, who’s previously revealed he doesn’t like to take his medication. “Those that understand mental illness… know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor,” she explained. “[People don’t] understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.”

As the summer went on, things continued to go downhill. Reports revealed Kanye had for months

been living on his $14 million Wyoming ranch, apart from Californiabased Kim and their kids, North, Saint, 4, Chicago, 2, and Psalm, 16 months. Kim flew there to confront him after he shut her out, Life & Style previously reported. But an August family vacation was only a temporary balm. The Twitter rants and outbursts ramped up again and in September, Kanye attacked the music industry — even posting a video of himself urinating on one of his Grammys. “That’s when she decided it had to end,” says the source. “Yes, Kanye has an illness, but Kim’s telling friends she’s had enough of this vicious cycle.”

The beauty and fashion mogul told Ye as much one recent night — and it didn’t go over well. “She recalled to pals how she lost it and screamed at him through tears that she didn’t want to stay married to him any longer. She was hysterical, Kanye was sobbing,” says the source, noting he’d publicly apologized for his own earlier divorce statements. “Then Kim just walked out.” Now new reports claim that Kim’s ready to file for divorce and is just waiting for Kanye to emerge from this latest troubling episode.

The situation will no doubt bring on another money war for Kim. Kanye’s long been obsessed with wealth — this spring he challenged Forbes’ assessment that he’s worth $1 billion thanks to his Yeezy brand deal with Adidas, insisting he’s worth $3.3 billion. But the fact is he’s hemorrhaged money throughout their relationship — and continues to. In early September, it emerged he’d lent his political campaign nearly $7 million to cover barely a month of expenses, while his Birthday Party had only raised $11,000 in funding. The same month, he admitted he’d blown another $50M putting on his Sunday Service performances and covering choir uniforms, travel and

more. “It’s insane how much money he spends,” says the source. “Kim’s going to be desperate to protect her assets in the event of a divorce.”

LOOKING FORWARD

At times, Kim must feel like she’s the only one looking out for her best interests. Especially having had to share a momager with five siblings. “There have been quite a few instances over the years where Kris passed over Kim to offer her sisters opportunities,” says the source. “According to Kim, it still stings.”

But she’s ready to move on. While a rep for Kim denies discord in the

star’s life, the source says it’s typical of her to put on a brave face and try to focus on what is working. In addition to all her businesses (see sidebar), she’s on track to not only become a billionaire but complete her legal studies and take the California bar exam in 2022. “She tells friends that she wants to be a lawyer and a mom, and not be judged by the actions of Kanye or have to compete with her own family,” explains the source, who says Kim relishes her prison reform work in particular. “She says she dreams of focusing on that part of her life — the part outside of the spotlight.”