IS KIM PREP ARING FOR LIFE WITHOUT KANYE?
Rumours swirl after Kim Kardashian arrives at this year’s Met Gala – minus her husband Insiders worry she’s gearing up for life on her own as their marriage is in turmoil Kim struggles with insecurity and feels she’s in sisters Kendall and Kylie’s shadow
They stole the show last year as the best-dressed couple at the Met Gala – the biggest event in the fashion calendar.
But 12 months on – and after a difficult few months since her terrifying Paris robbery – Kim Kardashian turned up at this
year’s celebrity bash without husband Kanye. The reality star cut a lonely figure on the red carpet without her spouse, who has been keeping a low profile since his mental breakdown in November last year. And the solo appearance has fuelled rumours about the state of the couple’s marriage. While some reports blamed Kanye’s absence on his fury over the recent unairbrushed pictures of Kim’s bum that made humiliating headlines, others suggest he has decided to take a break from the red carpet following his breakdown. Now insiders say Kim, 36, and Kanye, 39, are still struggling to rebuild their relationship after their respective traumas last year.
A source says: “Kanye’s breakdown has taken a huge toll on the relationship – he’s still in recovery and has been re-evaluating his life. He’s a changed man – he doesn’t want any more involvement in the spotlight or this ‘fake world.’ He’s writing and reading and focusing on religion instead, as part of his recovery.
MARRIAGE STRAIN
“Meanwhile, Kim is trying to bounce back into the limelight so she’s really struggling with Kanye – with the relationship, their dynamic, their future, all on top of recovering from her own ordeal last September.”
And some sources close to Kim – who’s mum to North, three, and Saint, one – are questioning whether Kim’s solo appearance was her “testing the waters” and preparing for the worst-case scenario of the couple splitting.
A source says: “Friends worry Kim is preparing herself for solo life, but wouldn’t admit to it. Kim obviously wants to try to support
Kanye, but she feels that unless the recovery comes from him, then the writing is on the wall. It’s a huge dilemma for her – she wants to protect the kids and ensure they’re happy but ultimately Kim knows marriages sometimes end, that’s reality. She wants it to work, but she knows she has to be practical about it, even if the worst happens.”
Kim herself has endured a challenging few weeks. Last month, she lost 100,000 Instagram followers after unedited photos of her bum with cellulite emerged in the press – with fans accusing her of “lying” to them by Photoshopping her pictures too much.
She then received another online backlash over her first live TV appearance since the Paris ordeal on The Ellen Show, where she broke down in tears while recalling how she was robbed at gunpoint. But fans were unsympathetic – calling her “fake” – and TV presenter Piers Morgan said she was hypocritical for claiming she was no longer materialistic or shallow, when she still sells an array of branded products on her website.
LOSING HER CROWN
To add to her misery, sources say Kim is feeling overshadowed by her younger sisters Kendall, 21 – who has found success in the fashion world – and Kylie, 19, who has her own make-up line, fashion franchise and will soon be launching her own spin-off reality show.
And while Kim arrived at the Met Gala in an uncharacteristically demure plain white dress with no accessories and subtle makeup, Kendall and Kylie stole the spotlight in glam see-through gowns and dazzling jewellery.
A source reveals: “Kim has been feeling increasingly insecure at the moment and feels she’s getting lost in Kylie and Kendall’s shadow. Kim left the Met Gala feeling really down and miserable – as soon as she set foot on the carpet in her simple dress, she said she instantly felt a massive regret and was lost among all the glitz and glamour of her sisters.
“She even feels her mum Kris is now prioritising her younger sisters over her and focusing on them as they’ve become so much more popular. But Kim doesn’t want to start a war with Kylie or Kendall – she’s always felt like the leader of their sisterly pack and the one who sacrificed everything to make her family as famous as they’ve become. She can’t help but feel that she paved the way for her younger siblings.”
So, while she battles marriage problems and fears over her own popularity, sources say Kim is now on a mission to regain her crown as queen of the spotlight.
A source says: “For Kim, it’s now all about getting back on her feet and finding her confidence again. She’s not just going to retreat into the background after working as hard as she has over the years. She knows she’s got to accept Kylie and Kendall’s popularity will continue to sky-rocket and she’ll have to deal with it.
“Her daughter North is her pride and joy and she wants to focus on bringing her up to be the best young woman she can be – and hopes that someday she’ll take the torch from Kylie and Kendall, in the same way they’ve taken it temporarily from her.
“Whatever decision she makes about her marriage to Kanye will be a huge next chapter for her – and potentially a huge storyline on their reality show, or even her own spin-off. She’s just hoping the world will still be intrigued enough to want to find out what happens next.”
❛Kim feels she’s getting lost in her sisters’ shadow❜