Why Did Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Divorce? She Explained the Reason Behind Their Split

The reality TV star and the rapper officially broke up in 2021, but rumors swirled that they were headed for divorce years prior.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye “Ye” West’s former romance included countless ups and downs, and the Kardashians star has opened up about it on her family’s Hulu series. Now that the “Stronger” rapper is reportedly separated from his new wife, Bianca Censori, some fans want to know the reason why Kim filed for divorce from him in 2021. Keep reading to learn everything we know about Kim and Kanye’s breakup. 

When Did Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Break Up? 

Kim filed for divorce from Ye in February 2021. However, split rumors circulated for years before she filed the paperwork. In late 2016, the then-spouses were reportedly living apart after the “Jesus Walks” artist was placed under psychiatric evaluation. 

Although the pair were still married and together at the time, multiple outlets reported that their marriage began to fizzle out by 2017. Kim even attended the Met Gala that year solo. Nevertheless, the duo welcomed their daughter Chicago in 2018, followed by son Psalm in 2019. Kim and Ye also share kids North and Saint West together. 

Throughout 2020, the Skims boss supported her then-husband and addressed Kanye’s mental health by defending him and their family against the public scrutiny. 

“As many of you know, Kanye has bipolar disorder,” Kim wrote in a note she shared via her Instagram Stories. “I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.” 

However, less than one year later, Kim officially filed for divorce. After multiple failed attempts to rekindle his marriage, Ye eventually agreed to finalize their divorce by the end of 2022. 

Why Did Kim Kardashian File for Divorce From Kanye West? 

During a season 4 episode of The Kardashians, the SKKN founder gave viewers a glimpse into her mindset when she separated from Ye. 

“I used to spend hours and hours and hours of my days as the clean-up crew [of Kanye’s public issues],” she explained, adding, “I just don’t have that energy. … Sometimes, I feel if he were to hit rock bottom, that’s his journey that he needs to figure out on his own.” 

While she never cited what exactly she was the “cleanup crew” for, fans watched Kim navigate several problems with Ye — from announcing his presidential run to his controversial comments about the Kardashian-Jenner family. 

Page Six, however, reported that Kanye’s 2020 presidential run was the “final straw” for Kim, and “needed to end the marriage for the sake of her kids and her own sanity.”