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There are two types of people in the world pertaining to Kardashian drama; those who sit back in disbelief, pointing fingers and assuming the unassumable, at the co-parenting chaos ensuing between the power couple formerly known as Kimye. And the rest of us, who have already been divorced, are hardly surprised by the drama and, unfortunately, know exactly what she’s going through.
For those of you living under a rock, I’ll summarize the exact details of said chaos:
Kanye has taken to social media to publicly attack, criticize, try to apologize, and then go back to criticizing Kim Kardashian, her parenting choices, and now, even her family. It’s like watching a very glam train wreck headed for the side of a Calabasas mountain in slow motion, and while this fodder has made for unique Instagram meme content, the sad truth is that none of this is funny—at least, not to those who have walked in Kim’s shoes with an ex-spouse before. What Kim Kardashian is experiencing at the hands of her soon-to-be-ex-husband, in front of all the world—and her kids—to see, is known as post-separation abuse/control.
Post-separation control, also known as coercive control, is defined as “a form of abuse that some ex-spouses use to maintain power and control over the partner they are separated or divorced from, long after a relationship or marriage is over, common at the hands of people with high-conflict personalities or more specific personality disorders.”
I’m a Certified Divorce and Co-Parenting Specialist and my book, Moms Moving On: Real-Life Advice on Conquering Divorce, Co-Parenting Through Conflict, and Becoming Your Best Self, comes out March 15. Most of my clients, followers, and readers have come to me saying things like, “I was never even a Kardashian fan before, but I just feel so bad for Kim,” or “Oh my goodness, I feel like I’m watching the celebrity version of my exact life.”
Others, however, have made claims that I’m here to refute, such as “He’s crazy and just doing that for press,” or, “She probably deserves it,” as some very salty men have commented on my Instagram feed. And listen, I’m not here to diagnose or delve deep into Kanye’s mental health struggles, but regardless of what they are, it doesn’t make it okay to berate an ex and their parenting choices in any way, shape, or form. While some might think that because this kind of abuse isn’t physical, it isn’t that big a deal, the control is often executed in ways that could only be described as psychological and emotional terrorism, which is far harder to prove—thus making it far harder to stop.
How does post-separation control rear its ugly head? Let’s go back to where a lot of this started for Kim and Kanye: TikTok.
In early February, Kanye posted a plea on Instagram asking his followers to explain why his daughter was put on TikTok against his will. Well, Kanye, sorry, bud, but unfortunately, regardless of what anyone’s opinions are on letting children use TikTok, your ex-wife is under no obligation to justify what she does in her home, with her children, to you or anybody else*.
And this is precisely where this type of coercive control begins.
“Why do you let our child eat sugary cereal in your house? You’re a terrible mother.”
“I don’t want my kids watching those shows in your house.”
“What kind of parent are you if you’re wearing those outfits around my kids?”
If you’re divorced from or divorcing a high-conflict personality type, I know you know exactly what I mean.
Sure, these statements seem pretty harmless until you give into one or two of your ex’s demands and start to find that no matter what you do, the demands, threats, and insults continue, making you feel as if you’re still married — or worse, emotionally obligated — to the person you fought so hard to leave. The person engaging in this type of abusive control will undoubtedly insist that their demands are “what’s best for the children,” completely ignoring that what’s best for the children in any divorced family is having parents who are not constantly at war. These types of psychological abuse tactics very closely mirror the tactics used in psychological torture, which Biedermann’s Chart of Coercion — a tool designed by sociologist Albert Biedermann in 1957 to demonstrate and explain the coercive methods of stress manipulation used to torture prisoners of war — lists as:
Isolation
Monopolization of Perception
Induced Debility and Exhaustion
Threats, Occasional Indulgences
Degradation
and Enforcing Trivial Demands.
Love her or hate her, Kim’s response was the type that any divorce industry expert would have given as well, highlighting the fact that Kanye’s attacks on his daughter’s mother would leave much deeper wounds than any caused by TikTok:
“Kanye’s constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create,” Kardashian West wrote. “As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision — because it brings her happiness.” Kardashian West went on to write that “divorce is difficult enough on our children” and that her estranged husband’s “obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all.”
She’s not wrong, and neither is my point about a coercive or emotionally abusive ex never knowing when to stop and always finding something to fight about. Since the TikTok drama, Kanye has also taken to social media to trash Kim’s boyfriend, Pete Davidson, threatening to attack him and calling him names, as well as publicly humiliating other Kardashian confidantes all while insisting that everyone is out to get him. Hate to break it to you, Ye, but the common denominator of all this drama is you.
So what do you do if you’re a regular person trying to navigate a regular divorce with someone engaging in post-separation abuse/coercive control?
Acceptance, On Two Levels
To properly handle this type of abuse, you first have to accept that it’s happening. You know deep in your gut what feels like an infringement on your territory or an attack on your character, so please don’t rely on other people validating whether or not this is, in fact, a form of abuse. It is.
The second form of acceptance you’ll need to harness is the kind that comes from accepting that no matter what you do or don’t do, whether or not you constantly bend to the needs of an abuser, you will not change who this person is or how they try to treat you.
Set Boundaries
Physical and emotional boundaries are critical when you are co-parenting with a high-conflict, controlling ex. If there is a threat of physical violence, a protective order will make a world of difference in your life. The other kind of boundaries, the ones needed to stop you from being emotionally bowled over by your ex’s nonsense, range from giving up the need to answer to your ex’s demands, muting his texts and emails as not to let yourself get triggered each time they come in, and remembering that you do not need to step into the proverbial ring any time this person wants to box. Remember that these boundaries are not there to change him but to change how you react. Stay consistent.
*Follow Your Parenting Plan
Earlier, I mentioned that how you choose to run your household and parent your children is absolutely not your ex’s business — unless there are specific parameters set forth by your attorneys in your parenting plan or divorce agreement. If your ex makes a demand that is not clearly listed in your plan, that’s their problem, not yours.
Stay On Higher Ground
Your ex can belittle you, trash you publicly, and try to attack your character, but actions speak far louder — and make a much more lasting impact — than words. Avoid the need to stoop to the level of your high-conflict ex, and one day, your kids will thank you for always being the safe port in their chaotic divorce storm.
Teach Your Kids Critical Thinking Skills
If your ex is trying to attack or control you by bad-mouthing you to your children, this is when critical thinking comes into play. Teach your kids to think for themselves, make decisions on their feelings, and analyze evidence before deciding what’s true.
Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Leaving a marriage to someone like Kanye is often as hard as being in one — until you learn to take back your control. The day you put up those emotional walls, learn to block out the noise, and remember that just because someone says something doesn’t make it true, a whole new life begins.
Image: Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images
For years, I thought that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were that rare celebrity couple that was immune to everything going on in the world around them. Both polarizing figures and lightning rods for controversy, they were a problematic fav power couple that seemed like they really were meant for each other. But in 2020, as Kanye has deteriorated from a problematic fav to just problematic, we’ve started to hear rumors—and see evidence—of cracks in his relationship with Kim. As much as I try to ignore Kanye these days, I can’t help but be fascinated by what’s going on with this marriage right now. So let’s look at all the evidence that a split may be in the cards for Kimye.
The Birthday Trip
Obviously, Kim got a ton of backlash for her recent 40th birthday trip to Tahiti, but her COVID consciousness is a separate issue. Personally, I can’t stop thinking about how Kanye’s presence on the trip was mostly concealed. He wasn’t in a single one of the photos that Kim posted (and she posted many photos), and the only reason we even know he was on the trip is because Kourtney tagged him in an Instagram story!
☀️ Girls just wanna have sun ☀️ pic.twitter.com/1jFfva1rrV
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 28, 2020
Now, one might think the bigger relationship red flag would be if Kanye had skipped the trip altogether, but that could’ve been easily explained away with work commitments, or the fact that he’s technically still in the middle of a Presidential campaign. Those would have seemed like excuses, but whatever; Kylie didn’t go on the trip either! But the fact that he was on that island, and he either wasn’t in any group pics or Kim specifically chose to post pictures without him? Every single alarm bell is going off in my head. I’m sure Kanye can be weird about taking pictures sometimes, but to go on a giant trip for your 40th and not post a single pic with your husband is not an indicator that your marriage is thriving.
The Birthday Hologram
For my birthday, Kanye got me the most thoughtful gift of a lifetime. A special surprise from heaven. A hologram of my dad. ✨🤍 It is so lifelike! We watched it over and over, filled with emotion. pic.twitter.com/jD6pHo17KC
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 29, 2020
We’ve known for a long time that these people are f*cking strange, but they sort of outdid themselves this time. On Thursday, Kim shared that Kanye’s 40th birthday gift to her was a hologram video of her late father speaking to her. The internet seems divided on whether this is a cute or creepy gesture, but I sincerely hope Kanye cleared this idea with Kim before spending however much a custom hologram of a dead person costs. Kim shared CGI Dad’s message to her, and the whole thing is a little strange. Robert praises his daughter for her businesses and her support of Armenia, then calls Kanye the “most, most, most, most, most genius man in the whole world.” Subtle. Did Kanye write the script for the hologram, because even for him, that’s a little much. On Twitter, Kim claimed to really love this gift, but idk, something feels off here.
The Halloween Photos
This morning, Kim shared her family Halloween photos, which are Tiger King-themed this year! (Curious whether Kim actually watched the show, or if her assistant just told her what to do.) The kids are little tigers, Kim is Carole Baskin (iconic), and Kanye is Joe Exotic. Oh wait—did I say Kanye? Sorry, I meant Jonathan Cheban. Yes, Foodgod stepped in for the family costume pics this year, and no explanation was offered for Kanye’s absence. Now, we know Kanye doesn’t love the family Halloween photos, and in the past, he’s usually worn costumes that completely conceal his face/body, leading to some speculation that it wasn’t actually him in the photos. But in the past, Kim at least wanted us to think that he was participating in the family costumes—this year, we just have to accept that Jonathan Cheban really is part of the family. Ew.
The Presidential Campaign
Now that I have your attention…this a reminder to VOTE. 6 days. pic.twitter.com/2UPuT9nilH
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 28, 2020
Back on July 4th, Kanye announced his run for President, adding on to the sense of dread that has accompanied most of this year. Kim retweeted Kanye’s initial announcement with an American flag emoji, but since then, she’s been 100% silent about Kanye’s run for President. She did not attend his first (and only) campaign rally in July, and in recent posts about voting, she’s notably chosen not to endorse, or even mention, any specific candidate. According to a People source, when Kim visited Kanye in Wyoming in July, she “urged” him to abandon the campaign, asking him to “focus on his mental health” instead. Kim opened up about dealing with Kanye’s mental health struggles in an emotional post around the same time, but when it comes to Kanye’s political aspirations, it doesn’t seem like something she’s willing to touch. Tbh, it’s a little unclear what Kanye is even trying to do with this whole campaign thing, considering he’s not even on the ballot in most states, but it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t like a little more public support from his wife.
Who knows where Kim and Kanye’s relationship trajectory is really headed, but adding up all the evidence from the past few months, things don’t seem like they’re going great. With KUWTK wrapping up soon, it might be an ideal time for Kim to leave her marriage without quite as much public attention, but let’s be real, if they actually get divorced, it’s going to be a huge deal. Or maybe their divorce will be the series finale—that possibility has Kris Jenner written all over it.
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Images: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com; kimkardashian / Twitter; kimkardashian / Instagram
As we’re all very aware, this is not a normal summer. As we do our part to minimize the spread of coronavirus, that means the majority of travel plans are not really an option right now. Depending on the situation where you live, you can hopefully plan some COVID-friendly weekend getaways—provided you follow state quarantine guidelines—but with a U.S. passport not worth the paper it’s printed on, your big international trip just isn’t happening this year.
We’ve all had to make massive adjustments this year, but if the hellscape of 2020 has proved anything, it’s that celebrities are not just like us. In March and April, most celebs were staying home like the rest of us, making cringeworthy PSA videos and entertaining us with concerts on Instagram Live. But nearly six months into the pandemic, celebrity behavior is a very mixed bag. While some are still hunkering down, others are a little too determined to get back to their normal lives.
While celebrities’ access to things like private planes and rapid test results certainly makes it easier for them to travel, there’s no way to fly around 100% safely right now. And beyond whatever risks these people are taking for themselves, they’re also setting a sh*tty example for their many followers. I don’t expect every celebrity to be a beacon of good judgment, but come on.
Dua Lipa & Anwar Hadid
I’m a huge fan of Dua Lipa personally, which is why I’ve been especially annoyed watching her fly around the world this summer. She and boyfriend Anwar Hadid have been together this whole time, starting with a few months of actual isolation at her home in London. They celebrated her album release and their one-year anniversary in quarantine, and were doing so well! But then at the beginning of July, Dua and Anwar flew to the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia for vacation. Dua captioned her first vacation post “island isolation,” so hopefully they were actually isolated while there, but they still went on vacation.
By mid-July, Dua and Anwar were in New York City, where they were photographed out and about numerous times—usually wearing masks, but not always. While on the east coast, the couple also spent time at Yolanda Hadid’s house in Pennsylvania, where they saw Bella and a very pregnant Gigi Hadid. Since the end of last month, they’ve been in LA, and they haven’t exactly been isolating. Dua posted a photo hanging out (indoors, no masks) with Miley Cyrus, and last week she celebrated her 25th birthday with a party. Dua!! Stop that!!
Rita Ora
Much like Dua Lipa, British singer Rita Ora spent the first few months of lockdown more or less in actual lockdown. She rented a house in the Cotswolds (major The Holiday vibes), and other than some bikini pics in nature, it didn’t seem like she was doing much. But just like Dua Lipa, she got bored of isolation sometime in June, and by the beginning of July, she was on vacation in Paris. Since then, she’s spent time at home in London, and more recently, she’s been on back-to-back holidays in Ibiza and Greece. I know the COVID travel situation is slightly different in Europe currently than in the U.S., but maybe this summer would be a good time to limit yourself to like, one beach vacation? Also, I know there’s more to do in Ibiza than just clubbing, but is it really worth it to go when the clubs aren’t even open?
Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet and Eiza Gonzalez vacationing in Mexico in the midst of a global pandemic! pic.twitter.com/JAAlvKAHsJ
— Timothée Chalamet Fans (@TimotheeUpdates) June 23, 2020
Timmy keeps a pretty low profile on social media, but paparazzi and fan photos have provided us with sporadic updates on his ever-changing pandemic whereabouts. He’s spent most of the last six months in New York, but in June, his trip to Mexico was major tabloid news. That’s mainly because he was spotted at a resort in Cabo getting close with Eiza González, the first time they were seen together. Earlier this month, he flew from the U.S. to Hungary, where postponed reshoots on the upcoming Dune movie were allowed to go forward. Americans still face strict restrictions when traveling to European countries including Hungary, but judging from the timeline here, it doesn’t appear Timothée quarantined for 14 days.
Kanye West
Kanye West has been in the news a lot this summer, but I’m surprised his traveling hasn’t gotten more attention. Last month, Kanye tweeted that he was running for President, and then made headlines for some questionable comments made at a rally in South Carolina. Kanye’s comments about Harriet Tubman and abortion raised a lot of eyebrows, but also… why was he in South Carolina? He doesn’t live there, and in terms of his Presidential campaign, he didn’t even meet requirements to be listed on the ballot there. He hasn’t hosted any more campaign rallies since then, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been traveling.
In the past month or so, Kanye has spent a lot of time at his ranch in Wyoming, where Kim flew to visit him from LA at the end of July (the whole family also went to Wyoming on a separate trip earlier this summer). But rather than just staying in Wyoming, the whole family went on vacation earlier this month, with E! News reporting that they spent time in an undisclosed tropical location. Again, I know these people fly private everywhere and probably have unlimited access to testing, but it’s still not a great look.
Kelly Dodd
A number of Real Housewives and Bravolebrities have exhibited some questionable judgment during the pandemic, but RHOC’s Kelly Dodd has undoubtedly been the worst of the bunch. Early in the pandemic, when New York was the global epicenter, she flew back and forth between NYC and California to spend time with her fiancé, Fox News host Rick Leventhal. At the time, she received major backlash for comments on Instagram about coronavirus being “God’s way of thinning the herd,” and her subsequent terrible takes on Black Lives Matter didn’t help her reputation in the Bravo community.
This summer, Kelly has been all over the place, taking a family vacation to Florida in June, and a trip to Mexico last week, in addition to traveling between New York and California. Earlier this summer, RHOC resumed filming for their 15th season, and despite half the cast contracting COVID-19, and their cast trip being cut short, Kelly somehow avoided getting sick. Kelly has posted about getting tested numerous times, at least, but it doesn’t make the traveling itself any less risky.
Bachelor Contestants
When comparing reality TV stars’ responses to the pandemic, Bachelor Nation manages to make the Real Housewives look like responsible members of society. The days of Tyler, Hannah, and Matt James at the quarantine house are long gone (and that was questionable to begin with, tbh). Since leaving that overcrowded house in Florida months ago, Hannah Brown has spent time at home in Alabama, and is now living in California.
Madison Prewett has also hopped around quite a bit. She spent the first few months with her family in Alabama, before heading to Atlanta for a couple weeks in June, where she hung out with fellow Bachelor alums (mask-free, naturally). In early July, she was in Los Angeles, where she hung out with Hannah Ann, before heading to Nashville by the end of the month (and maybe also back to Alabama, it’s honestly hard to keep track). Now, she’s back in LA, and she just had her hair done by the same woman who gives frightening extensions to the likes of Amanda Stanton, Corinne Olympios, and Kim Zolciak Biermann.
I try not to keep tabs on too many Bachelor Nation people for fear that I will actually lose my mind, but suffice it to say that Hannah and Madi are not the only two Bachelor alums that have been a few too many places this summer.
Justin Bieber
Justin and Hailey started out their quarantine at their lake house in Canada, which is kind of the perfect place to be isolated for a while. But, like everyone else on this list, the whole “quarantine” thing pretty much lost meaning after a few months, and the Biebers have done quite a bit of traveling since then. For much of the summer, they’ve road tripped in an RV together, which is better than flying, but it’s not like they’ve been isolated on their travels. They went to Chicago, where they hung out with Chance the Rapper, they’ve had people on their boat, and recently, Justin has posted pictures from multiple different group dinners. Overall, Justin and Hailey aren’t the worst on this list, but they’re also doing more than they need to be.
In general, it’s frustrating that people with influence are so blatantly flaunting their privilege at a time when people are losing loved ones to COVID and struggling from the economic impacts of the pandemic. There’s no such thing as risk-free travel right now, and these people are taking those risks a little too lightly.
Images: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com; dualipa, ritaora, kellyddodd, madiprew, hairby_chrissy, justinbieber / Instagram; TimotheeUpdates / Twitter
Over the last few weeks, we’ve watched as Kanye West announced his bid for President, maybe dropped out, and then emphatically didn’t drop out, holding a baffling campaign rally over the weekend in South Carolina. Through it all, many have wondered, where is Kim? Aside from a couple of retweets, Kim Kardashian West, normally one of her husband’s most vocal fans, remained quiet about Kanye’s campaign. And beginning on Monday, Kanye West tweeted dozens of messages on a wide range of personal topics, including issues in his marriage with Kim. At first, the family stayed silent about what was going on, but on Wednesday morning, Kim addressed the situation in an open letter posted to her Instagram story, which serves as a reminder that we need to be careful about how we discuss mental health.
On his 2018 album Ye, Kanye revealed that he lives with bipolar disorder. Last year, in an interview with David Letterman, he discussed what it’s like to live with the condition, saying that he gets “hyper-paranoid about everything.” Until now, Kim has chosen not to comment publicly on Kanye’s mental health, and in today’s message, she explains why, saying that she’s kept things private in the past to protect her children and Kanye’s “right to privacy when it comes to his health.”
But in the last few days, Kanye’s mental health has been a worldwide topic of conversation, and Kim decided to speak out publicly. She cites the importance of breaking down the “stigma and misconceptions” surrounding mental health as her reason for responding. Kim specifically notes that those who are “unaware or far removed” from these issues can be “judgmental” of those dealing with mental health crises, but that the situation is far from simple. Because Kanye is an adult, the family doesn’t have any decision-making power in this situation, and Kim clarifies that the “individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help.”
Kim then specifically addresses Kanye’s struggles, acknowledging that “his actions can cause strong opinions and emotions,” and that his status as a public figure makes him especially subject to criticism. She writes that he is a “brilliant but complicated person,” and that due to his disorder, along with other difficult life experiences, his words often don’t “align with his intentions.” In the last part of her letter, Kim writes that “while we as a society talk about giving grace to the issue of mental health as a whole,” that grace should extend to “individuals who are living with in times when they need it the most.” She thanks those who have expressed concern, and asks that that the media and general public give Kanye and his family the “compassion and empathy that is needed.”
Kim’s letter is an important reminder that there still is a stigma around discussing mental health in our society, and that regardless of your personal opinions on a certain celebrity or figure, we should approach mental health issues with compassion.
Images: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com; kimkardashian / Instagram
Welcome back to another day in the nightmare that is 2020! Yesterday, I did my best to unpack the actual chances that Kanye West was being serious about running for President. Well, that was yesterday, and this is today. While Kanye still has deadlines and rules to deal with, in a new interview with Forbes, he made it clear that he wasn’t just joking with that tweet. F*ck.
Kanye told Forbes that he’ll make a final decision about running within the next 30 days, and shared his thoughts on many important issues. While some of his comments were actually coherent (he doesn’t support the death penalty!), most of what he said was low-key terrifying. Let’s go through the most concerning things he said in the interview, and why he’s still a nightmare of a Presidential candidate.
Political Parties
The most popular headline about Kanye’s interview is that he no longer supports Trump, which is technically true. But while he called Trump’s recent actions “one big mess,” that doesn’t actually mean much about his politics. He said he “would run as a Republican if Trump wasn’t there,” and that “Trump is the closest president we’ve had in years to allowing God to still be part of the conversation.”
Kanye criticized the idea that “all Black people need to be Democrat,” saying that this way of thinking is a form of a form of “white supremacy and white control.” Consequently, he said that his choice to wear the MAGA hat was “a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community.” For those wondering, if he does run for President, he’ll run as an independent, but will call it the Birthday party, “because when we win, it’s everybody’s birthday.” Yes, really.
I think I can guess where he got the inspiration for that one:
Voting
If Kanye sounds a bit… new to politics, it might have something to do with the fact that he has never voted. In fact, he told Forbes that he registered to vote for the first time in his life this Monday. He said he never registered because he was “scared” of expressing his true political beliefs, and felt “threatened into being in one party.”
Vaccines
In one of the most troubling parts of the interview, Kanye questioned whether we should be seeking a vaccine for coronavirus, and cast doubt on vaccines in general. He said “so many of our children that are being vaccinated and paralyzed,” adding that we should be “extremely cautious” with a potential COVID vaccine. He called vaccines “the mark of the beast,” and claimed that “they want to put chips inside of us,” which will make it so that we “can’t cross the gates of heaven.” So Kanye is both an anti-vaxxer and a religious conspiracy theorist. Great.
For reference, the CDC states that “Data show that the current U.S. vaccine supply is the safest in history,” and maintains that “the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks.”
Abortion
Kanye told Forbes “I am pro-life because I’m following the word of the bible.” In case you hadn’t noticed, we’ve entered the religion portion of the interview.
Planned Parenthood
Given his stance on abortion, it’s unsurprising that Kanye isn’t a big fan of Planned Parenthood. Specifically, he said “Planned Parenthoods have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work.” Kanye may be referring to Margaret Sanger, an early reproductive rights activist and the first President of Planned Parenthood, who has been criticized for her support of eugenics. However, in recent years Planned Parenthood has been open about Sanger’s problematic beliefs, explaining that her history is “layered and complex.” The current CEO of Planned Parenthood, Alexis McGill Johnson, is a Black woman.
Religion In Schools
Kanye is unsurprisingly a supporter of bringing prayer into our schools. He believes that by reinstating “the fear and love of God in all schools and organizations,” we can “chill the fear and love of everything else.” He calls the removal of prayer in schools a “plan by the Devil to have our kids committing suicide at an all-time high.”
Foreign Policy
When asked about his plan for foreign policy, Kanye said, “I haven’t developed it yet. I’m focused on protecting America, first, with our great military. Let’s focus on ourselves first.” Where have I heard the phrase “America first” before…? Oh, right: nowhere good.
Policy In General
Actually, Kanye isn’t that into the idea of policy at all. He told Forbes, “I don’t know if I would use the word policy for the way I would approach things. I don’t have a policy when I went to Nike and designed Yeezy and went to Louis and designed a Louis Vuitton at the same time. It wasn’t a policy, it was a design.” Great, can’t wait to see how he runs the country the same way he would design a pair of sneakers. It’s gonna be fine!
Wakanda
Don’t worry, Kanye might not like policy, but he still has a plan for how his government will work. Here’s his plan, inspired by Black Panther, because why not: “I’m gonna use the framework of Wakanda right now because it’s the best explanation of what our design group is going to feel like in the White House… That is a positive idea: you got Kanye West, one of the most powerful humans—I’m not saying the most because you got a lot of alien level superpowers and it’s only collectively that we can set it free.” Again, it’s gonna be fiiiiiine.
So, Kanye hasn’t decided for sure if he’s running or not, but at least now we have an idea of just how terrifying his ideas actually are. But the thing is, reading through all these quotes, I can totally imagine lots of people falling for it. We are so f*cked.
Images: Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella
UPDATE: Since Kanye West announced his Presidential candidacy on July 4th, we’ve watched with a mix terror and confusion. Is he serious? Why? Can we not? But yesterday, just 10 days after announcing his Presidential candidacy, it appeared that Kanye West’s political ambitions had been put on pause. In a New York Magazine report, Ben Jacobs spoke to Steve Kramer, an election specialist who was hired to work on Kanye’s campaign, who confirmed that “he’s out” of the 2020 race.
Kramer shared that he was hired last week with the goal of getting Kanye West on the ballot in South Carolina and Florida, two states with July 15th filing deadlines. For a moment, the campaign was definitely a real thing, and Kramer claims that they had “over 180 people” working to collect signatures in those states. But by the end of last week, Kramer told Jacobs that Kanye was bowing out, and everything related to the campaign was “canceled.”
But just as we all let out a resounding sigh of relief, the nightmare came to life again. Turns out, Kanye West filed an important federal election form TODAY, suggesting that he may not be done with this presidential nonsense just yet. While each state has their own rules about the election, there are also federal guidelines that candidates have to follow. In order to declare a Presidential candidacy, you have to file two forms with the Federal Election Commission: the Statement of Organization (Form 1) and the Statement of Candidacy (Form 2). Form 1 basically just states that you’ve formed a committee, whereas Form 2 (which is way more important) shows that you’ve raised at least $5,000, and officially makes you a candidate.
Today, Kanye filed Form 1. It’s an important step, but if he really has any intention of entering this race, he only has a short time to file Form 2. The FEC states that Form 2 must be filed “within 15 days of becoming a candidate,” which happened on July 4th in Kanye’s case, unless there’s some weird loophole. It’s been 11 days since then, so hopefully he gets bored in the next few days and doesn’t file the form. But even if he does, he’s still missed the ballot deadlines in crucial states like Texas and Florida. Seriously, why is he even putting us through all of this?
We may never truly know all the details behind this maybe-campaign, but I have a feeling he may not have realized how big of an effort it would be just to get his name on the ballot. Despite grandiose ideas he discussed in that bizarre Forbes interview, I really can’t imagine him following through with this. It’s going to be like when a kid can tell they’re going to lose a board game, so they just get up and leave before it’s over.
Kanye and those around him have been strangely quiet about the status of his campaign, but based on Kim Kardashian’s most recent post, she’s not too concerned. Honestly, she’ll probably be relieved if she doesn’t have to spend the next four months at boring campaign rallies.
Original Article: I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’ve had enough of 2020. I’d like to go to sleep for the next six months, and then be woken up when we have a coronavirus vaccine. But sadly, I cannot go to sleep, mostly because of the constant fireworks, so this nightmare year just keeps chugging along. This weekend brought some exciting new developments out of the magic bag of hell, like cases of West Nile virus in at least 13 states, a case of Bubonic plague in Mongolia, and Kanye West’s announcement that he’s running for President this year.
Kanye made his big announcement with a tweet on the evening of July Fourth, which felt like the problematic cherry on top of a holiday that some feel we shouldn’t even be celebrating anymore. In his tweet, he declared that we “must now realize the promise of America by Trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future.” Tbh, he lost me at God, but of course none of this actually means anything.
We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION
— ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020
He finished it off with the hashtag #2020VISION, which I’m honestly surprised neither major party candidate had already claimed for himself. But aside from the immediate urge to laugh at Kanye being Kanye and doing something unbelievable, it’s hard to tell whether he’s joking or not. After all, Kanye said he would run for President in 2020 way back in 2015, though he later said he would run in 2024 because he wanted Trump to serve two terms. So what is the truth? After Kanye’s tweet on Saturday, billionaire Elon Musk quickly hopped aboard the #2020VISION train, tweeting his support.
You have my full support!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2020
Given Elon Musk’s recent baby name choice, I certainly won’t be taking political advice from him any time soon, but his tweet made it even harder to tell whether this is legit, or if we’re all just being trolled. But it turns out there’s more to running for President than just tweeting about it, and some of the technical details here make an official Kanye West campaign seem pretty unlikely.
First of all, it’s late in the game. So far, Kanye hasn’t filed any official documents about a Presidential run, assuming that a 2015 Green Party filing for “Kanye Deez Nutz West” isn’t legit. You never know, I guess. It’s unclear at this point whether Kanye West leans more Democrat or Republican politically, but he won’t have a chance at either party’s Presidential nomination. Those filing deadlines are long gone, and Trump and Biden have clearly wrapped up those slots in November’s election.
So Kanye would have to run as an independent candidate, but the election filing rules are still complicated. Each state sets their own deadline for independent candidates to file, a handful of which have already passed (including Texas, with its 38 electoral votes). Most state deadlines are in July or August, which would still give Kanye time to file, but there’s another complicating factor. Most states require a potential candidate to collect signatures in support of their candidacy in order to file, and that number varies by state. Kanye obviously has fans, and many states only require a few thousand signatures, but high-population states like California and Florida require well over 100,000. Sure, Kanye has fans, but he’s going to have to mobilize quickly if he actually wants to make this happen.
If he chooses not to mess with the complicated filing deadlines, Kanye’s other option would be to campaign for write-in votes. This would mean a lot less rules to figure out, but of course, he would still have to get people to write his name down in November. Whether or not Kanye is serious, let’s be real, he’s not going to win. But in an election year that many see as one of the most pivotal in recent memory, it feels like the wrong time for distractions. In a tweet that echoed many people’s concerns, actor Eric Balfour called Kanye out:
Do you guys think this is all a joke? That potentially pulling votes away from the only nominee who can defeat Donald Trump is cute or funny? This is the height of privilege, ultimately it won’t hurt you, you’re wealthy enough to survive 4 more years of Trump! Come the fuck on! https://t.co/Y9YIC2ZOpX
— ERIC BALFOUR (@ERICBALFOUR) July 5, 2020
Whether Kanye West actually intends to run for President in November or not, no one needs this right now. We have far bigger issues to focus on, like fighting an out-of-control pandemic, working to undo centuries of racism, and protecting the civil rights of trans people. Everyone should get involved in politics in their own way, but that doesn’t mean Kanye West should run for President.
Images: Sky Cinema / Shutterstock.com; kanyewest, elonmusk, ericbalfour / Twitter
When the historians look back at the year 2020, I have a feeling they’re going to be confused. They’ll see a global pandemic, with massive lifestyle changes, economic upheaval, and great loss. But right in the midst of it, they’ll see everyone talking about something else: a video of a phone call that happened in 2016. Ladies and gentlemen, Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift are taking shots at each other on social media, and I hate to say it, but this is my happy place.
As we all know, way back in July 2016, Kim Kardashian posted a video of her husband Kanye West on the phone with Taylor Swift. On the call, Swift seemingly approves West’s controversial lyric about having sex with her, despite Taylor publicly taking offense with the lyric. In case you’re wondering, I actually wrote the original Betches article about the phone call way back in 2016, so I feel like we’ve really come full circle together.
Aside from some subtle shots at each other in more recent lyrics, I really thought this feud was done and dusted, but lo and behold, I WAS WRONG! Over the weekend, someone leaked an extended video of the phone call, which provides a lot more context to what actually happened. First of all, I feel like someone needs to check Kris Jenner’s computer history, because I feel like there’s at least a 50/50 chance this leak is coming directly from her. Even if Kim Kardashian doesn’t come out of this looking amazing, there just so happens to be a new season of Keeping Up premiering… THIS WEEK. There might be a pandemic right now, but Kris Jenner is going to get her publicity, god damn it.
So let’s get into the actual video. Really, most of the conversation is pretty hard to follow, because Kanye West’s mind is possibly the most chaotic place in the world. He rambles about vibes, and how “Famous” is going to win Grammys, and how people are accusing him of bullying Nike, but the real interesting stuff boils down to a couple specific parts of the conversation.
As we knew before, Kanye shared his lyric about having sex with Taylor, and she really wasn’t mad about it. He actually told her two different versions of the lyric, one of which (“I feel like Taylor Swift might owe me sex”) is even more graphic than the version that made it into the final song. Taylor actually seems relieved, saying that the lyric is “not mean,” and she thought it would be way worse. But the really crucial thing here is that Kanye never asked Taylor about the line “I made that bitch famous.” He phrases it as “I made that girl famous,” and Taylor seems okay with it, but the word “bitch” never came into the conversation.
So. Where does this leave us? Of course, the Taylor Swift fans feel totally vindicated, and the Kanye West fans feel like the longer video doesn’t really change things. Honestly, I feel like most of the fans have already decided how they feel, and this video won’t change much, but that hasn’t stopped Taylor and Kim from coming for each other online. Late on Monday night, Taylor posted an Instagram story, in which she addressed the video in a backhanded way that I’m kind of obsessed with.
This is god-tier petty. Taylor basically pulled a “I’m not gonna talk about her outfit, even though it’s the ugliest outfit I’ve ever seen and I would never wear something so ugly, but I’m not gonna talk about it.” This is such a Real Housewives move, and it works. But while she’s keeping her cool, the tone of this also shows that she’s 100% not over it. She will literally be 80 years old and still mad at Kanye, and I love that for her. Oh, and the swipe up link goes to Feeding America, so she took the absolute high road. We have no choice but to stan.
In response to Taylor’s post, Mrs. Kim Kardashian West had some THOUGHTS. She popped up on Instagram stories and Twitter, posting a series of messages addressing the situation. First, she dragged Taylor for “reignit an old exchange”, saying that it feels “very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now.” Okay Lady Liberty, cool it with the grand statements. Y’all are both tweeting about something insignificant that happened years ago.
.@taylorswift13 has chosen to reignite an old exchange – that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
After reiterating that she didn’t even want to address the new leak, she flat-out accused Taylor Swift of being liar. She is adamant that no one ever claimed that Taylor approved the use of the word “bitch”, and that the actual issue was that Taylor’s publicist said that Kanye didn’t call her to ask for permission in general. This seems like a technicality, but there’s no argument that the phone conversation didn’t happen. I just sat through it for 20 minutes—you’re welcome.
To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that “Kanye never called to ask for permission…” They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word “bitch” was used without her permission.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
One of Taylor’s big claims about the video has always been that it was somehow edited to manipulate the truth. Kim reasserts that she didn’t edit the video in any way, she just chose a few clips to post on Snapchat “to make my point.” Damn, this has been going on for so long that Snapchat was still a relevant social media platform when it all started. While I agree with Kim that the full video doesn’t really change the narrative here, choosing 30 seconds of a 20-minute video is, in and of itself, editing.
I know Kim is more familiar with the Facetune variety of editing, but this is like TV show editing. Just think of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. After filming them sitting around eating salads for 100 hours, then the EDITORS go through the footage and find 40 minutes of watchable content. Kim, you of all people should know how this works!
I never edited the footage (another lie) – I only posted a few clips on Snapchat to make my point and the full video that recently leaked doesn’t change the narrative.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
She also hit back at Taylor’s “illegal recording” claim, saying that all artists document the process of putting an album together. She points out that Taylor Swift recently released a Netflix documentary full of the same type of footage, which isn’t a bad point, I guess. She also claims that this video would have gone “in the trash” had this whole drama with the phone call’s existence not started in the first place.
Kanye has documented the making of all of his albums for his personal archive, however has never released any of it for public consumption & the call between the two of them would have remained private or would have gone in the trash had she not lied & forced me to defend him.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
That’s cool, but doesn’t change the fact that recording the call in the first place was illegal. However, unless Taylor is going to sue Kim and Kanye for recording her without her consent, I don’t see why we have to keep bringing up that issue—the video already is out, it is what it is, and nobody can unring that bell.
This will be the last time I speak on this because honestly, nobody cares.
Sorry to bore you all with this. I know you are all dealing with more serious and important matters.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) March 24, 2020
To finish things off, Kim declared that this is the last time she’ll speak on this, “because honestly, nobody cares.” My initial instinct was to agree that no one cares anymore, but then I realized that I just furiously typed 1,000 words about this. What can I say, I still care! But if we’re being real, this should probably be the last time we talk about this, because there are truly so many more important things happening in the world. I know that Kim isn’t one to sit back and let people talk sh*t about her, but it just seems like she should really stop adding fuel to the fire.
So, will Kim and Taylor finally actually put this to rest (along with Kanye)? I’m hopeful, but nothing would surprise me at this point. At the very least, I expect Taylor to have one thinly veiled dig at Kanye on each of her albums until the end of time, and I also expect Kris Jenner to drop more breadcrumbs of drama in the future, because that’s just how she rolls. It just feels right. Will this be the last time I speak on this? Tbh, probably not—stay tuned!
Images: Dejui Eiraqius / YouTube; taylorswift / Instagram; kimkardashian / Twitter
“Step Inside Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West’s Boundary-Defying Home” is Architectural Digest’s latest headline, and we’re sure Kourtney Kardashian is out there somewhere sh*tting her pants with jealousy. For the rest of us, though, it’s pretty exciting to get a look inside Kim and Kanye’s house. Ever since I got a glimpse of Kim Kardashian’s fridge, I’ve been pretty intent on seeing more of their not-so-humble abode. What can I say, it looks like a museum in there, and I’m nosy AF. Time to dive in!
Most people (like me) probably clicked on this article in search of pictures—I definitely DGAF about “Axel Vervoordt” (their designer) or quite frankly anything else having to do with the actual architectural design of the home. I pretty much checked out after reading about Kanye’s “major acquisitions like an original Jean Royère Polar Bear sofa.” Like, cool, I got my sofa at Wayfair and put it together myself after watching a YouTube tutorial. And I’m supposed to be impressed by a “Jean Royère” sofa??
Scrolling, scrolling, and I see a few more pictures of the home. Kanye himself describes the home as “futuristic Belgian monastery”, and if you look at the Architectural Digest pictures, you’ll see why—for a home with a husband, wife, and four kids, their place is extremely f*cking white and extremely f*cking empty. Literally everything, and I do mean everything, in this house is paler than my skin in the dead of winter, with not a single stain to be found anywhere (and I can’t even eat a salad while wearing a white shirt without messing up everything). But I guess when you basically have unlimited money, you can pay people to replace your Royère upholstered seating any time the baby spits up on it.
Architectural Digest calls the home, “a story of probing and passion—a testament to the iconoclastic mind of the boundary-defying musician and the fearlessness of the zeitgeist-defining reality star and entrepreneur,” which to me is just a very flowery way of saying “these people have no real personality and are extremely f*cking wealthy.”
It’s like when you were in first grade and decided that your favorite color was a defining component of your identity, only in this case, the first graders are 40-something-year-old billionaires and their favorite color is actually the absence of color.
The only thing that shows a modicum of personality is this giant… elephant? Snake? Life-sized stuffed animal thing.
In addition to the article, there is also a video where Kim and Kanye are interviewed about their home. Kanye is sitting there in a hoodie and kind of looks like a fifth-grader in the principal’s office where Kim is the principal. Kim looks effortlessly stunning as always, but struggles to convey convincing emotion, probably from a recent round of injectables.
Anyway, Kanye was asked what his favorite room he designed with Axel was, and he said the hallway. Below is said hallway. Kanye said, “We pushed it to minimize it and make it as strong as possible and as simple as possible.” Once again, I know NOTHING, but I’m kind of dying that this hallway is what he considers to be his masterpiece. Like, could I be a designer? If you showed the below picture to any random person off the street, they’d probably think it was a photo of a hospital corridor. Ah, those rich get away with everything.
why does Kim's house look like a museum but they forgot to put the art on the walls https://t.co/e1MjkDgEd3
— Betches (@betchesluvthis) February 3, 2020
Kim discusses how she “loves to come back to a home full of simplicity,” as her house is Marie-Kondo’d to the max. This is great for them, but most people can’t exactly be this minimalist since, well, we simply don’t have the room. Like, yes, I would love for all of my makeup and clothing to be tucked away into a hidden walk-in closet with “Chanel lights” that “hide your cellulite” (as Kim mentions in the video), but my small-ass NYC apartment doesn’t exactly allow for that. So instead I have approximately 20 sh*tty plastic makeup containers from Ulta scattered around my place. One day!
Lastly, we have to discuss North “accidentally” “invading” their interview (see above video). It is obviouslyyyy possible that North did indeed jump into the interview in a moment of pure family fun and unpredictability, but would her hair and outfit really look like that on any normal day? I mean, yeah, maybe. But it’s just a little too much of a coincidence that she magically comes zooming in the very moment Kim asks what the inspiration for the house was, and Kanye answers that it was North. I know that this pre-planned moment of spontaneity is far from the biggest thing the Kardashians have faked, but still.
I also love how Kim and Kanye kept talking about how “family-friendly” their home is. How family-friendly can something really be when all it takes is for one rogue muddy shoe to f*ck up your entire aesthetic? Maybe I’m just salty because I grew up in a family home where the only thing that made my parents finally get rid of our ugly-ass denim furniture (yes, that’s correct—DENIM) was me finally throwing up on the couch one day. How symbolic.
When asked about the design process of the house, Vervoordt explained, “We changed the house by purifying it, and we kept pushing to make it purer and purer,” which is actually the only sentence that has made sense to me so far, because there is no better way to purify a home than to strip it of all its knickknacks and color. Maybe I do know a thing or two about interior design after all…
Images: archdigest / Instagram; betchesluvthis / Twitter
