After months of speculation, Kim Kardashian West filed for divorce from Kayne West on Feb. 19, following a number of public fights. Students shared their reactions to the news.
The couple met in the early 2000s and began dating in 2011. They welcomed their first child in June 2013, and tied the knot in May 2014. The couple then had four kids together and publicized their romance on “Keeping Up with The Kardashians.”
With the divorce pending, Kim is seeking joint legal and physical custody of their four children, according to ABC news.
The couple’s public fighting over the past few months began to spark rumors about the possibility of divorce. During the last half of 2020, Kanye launched his presidential campaign on July 4. He then held a campaign event in South Carolina where he broke down in tears telling a story about a discussion with Kim about potentially aborting their first child. It was not long until he took to Twitter publicly bashing the Kardashian family and Kim’s mother using terms like “Kris Jong-Un”.
Some students have been invested in their situation as their lives were documented in the series “Keeping Up with The Kardashians.”
Ashley Bernhammer, a sophomore psychology and speech pathology major, expressed her underwhelmed reaction to the split.
“I knew it was coming because I am well versed on Kardashian news and knew they were seen having fights before this,” she said. “They were already living separate lives.”
Anne Sorrentino, a freshman nursing major, had a different reaction.
“As a non-frequent Kardashian viewer, I was quite surprised because I didn’t know they were having marital issues,” Sorrentino said.
Ava Cammisa, a freshman marketing major, shared a similar feeling upon hearing the news of the divorce.
“When I found that Kim and Kanye got a divorce, my heart was shattered,” Cammisa said. “They were so cute, and it was really sad to see them separate.”
With the couple having four kids, Sorrentino said she believes the couple will be perfectly fit to co-parent the children.
“I think they are going to have to be civil because of their children,” Sorrentino said. “I think it will mirror the relationship of Courtney and Scott. She has good role models to look up to, especially in this type of situation being as the majority of their family’s parents are separated.”
Similar to Sorrentino, Cammisa said that she believes Kim and Kayne will continue to greatly provide for their children.
“I have seen my friend struggle with having divorced parents, and I don’t want that to happen to North and the rest of their children, but I think both parents will be there for their children, and they are very rich so they will be there financially for their kids,” Cammisa said.
Some students said they do not believe the couple will reconcile their differences and get back together in the future.
Bernhammer said she does not see them getting back together because “they have already tried that.”
“They were in couples therapy,” Bernhammer said. “They are not right for each other and have different goals in their lives, which is fine.”
Sorrentino said that Kim is too independent. She said the relationship is causing Kim to deal with unpredictable things as a result of Kayne’s actions.
Cammisa believes the relationship is not completely over, saying, “I think if they seriously think about how they will affect their kids and how they will be portrayed and if they think it will be best for them, they will get back together.” Alyssa Bernhammer can be reached at alyssa.bernhammer@student.shu.edu.
