Kris Jenner has opened up about her unconventional approach to family relationships, explaining why she chooses to maintain friendships with her children's former partners long after their romantic relationships have ended.
The Family First Philosophy
During a recent appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, the 70-year-old television producer and matriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner clan detailed her reasoning behind staying connected to exes like Kanye West, Tristan Thompson, and Scott Disick.
"I fall in love with people, have lives and years spent with their partners or their boyfriends or their husbands," Jenner shared. "And I have all these memories and travels and Christmas morning celebrations and birthdays and all the fun, the laughter, the joys, the tears, the babies."
The SKIMS model founder emphasised that these men are typically the fathers of my grandchildren, adding that "I love these men, and that love doesn't go away when we experience really challenging times with them. It just doesn't turn off like that for me."
Navigating Challenging Relationships
Jenner acknowledged that some relationships have proven particularly difficult to maintain. Her connection with Kim Kardashian's ex-husband Kanye West reportedly soured in 2020 when the rapper referred to her as "Kris Jong-un," a pointed reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Kim and West's divorce was finalised in 2022 following public disputes over custody, co-parenting, and finances. Kardashian has previously accused the musician of having an "obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation." The former couple share four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.
Despite these challenges, Jenner revealed that the exes know "they can always come to me" with their problems, and she consciously maintains relationships for the sake of her grandchildren.
Enduring Family Bonds
Some connections have proven more enduring than others. Jenner remains particularly close with Kourtney Kardashian's former partner Scott Disick, who continues to appear on the family's reality television show The Kardashians.
Kourtney and Disick met in 2006 and dated on and off until 2015, welcoming three children together: Mason, Penelope, and Reign. Jenner has previously described Disick as "amazing" and stated that he "will always be a special part of our family."
Similarly, the momager maintains a friendly relationship with Khloe Kardashian's ex Tristan Thompson, having even attended parties with the NBA player present. Despite Thompson's multiple infidelity scandals during his relationship with Khloe, including a 2019 incident with Kylie Jenner's best friend Jordyn Woods, the former couple continue to co-parent their two children, daughter True and son Tatum.
Jenner made it clear she understands why fans might find her approach surprising, acknowledging that these men have "treated [her daughters] badly" in the past. However, she explained that such matters have been handled "internally and privately."
"We don't need to talk about these things anymore. It's been done. It's dealt with," she stated. "We've talked about it. We all know what's happened. We've had it on the show or we've had it in our lives. Now it's time to grow up, be mature."
The recently-facelifted star, who reportedly spent $100,000 on the procedure, emphasised the importance of forgiveness, asking: "What will my grandkids think 20 years from now if their grandmother treated their dad poorly? Or I wasn't loving and kind and compassionate and forgiving?"
She concluded: "So I teach my kids forgiveness. It's one of the biggest lessons that I can teach them, to forgive somebody who's treated you badly and move on. I love who I've loved and I don't like what they've done. No I don't. But it doesn't make the love get any less overnight."
