Anyone who has been Keeping Up With the Kardashians has undoubtedly heard of the popular Kardashian Curse that has haunted the show more than a handful of times. A pattern has been found throughout the show’s 20 seasons, and it seems that anyone who gets too close to the Kardashian clan (extended to the Jenner sisters as well) is destined to be pursued by a persistent string of bad luck.
Whether it be friends, foes, or even lovers, no one can escape the curse, and the rumors are only fueled by Kylie’s acknowledgment of it in a GQ interview in which she states that the men in the Kardashians’ lives “can’t handle it” ⏤ it being fame ⏤ and are simply not ready for the consequences.
During an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, this curse is also acknowledged by Scott Disick, who visits a medium wishing to expel the “Kardashian Curse.” Disick is then met with a perplexed Kim and Kourtney, who are baffled that such a rumor even exists. In addition to Disick, who are the other alleged victims of this unlucky Kardashian Curse?
Scott Disick
A familiar face in the Kardashian household, Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian have had their ups and downs since the show first premiered. The pair met in 2006 at a party in Mexico, just a year before Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ release. Since then, the couple has had their fair share of relationship struggles, breakups, and reconciles. After the Kardashians accused Disick of cheating, they went on to be separated for a year ⏤ that is, until they reconciled in 2009 and Kourtney’s first pregnancy happened.
After Mason’s birth, the pair went on to have two other kids over the years, Penelope and Reign. During this time, they broke up yet again, as Disick’s partying and violent outbursts had become more frequent. In 2015, the pair broke up, amicably co-parenting their three children, but that wasn’t the end of Disick’s bad luck.
In 2015, he entered rehab for the first time to battle addiction. In the middle of rehab and incessant hookups in the years to come, Disick re-entered a rehab facility in 2020 to care for “past traumas.” It’s safe to say that Disick hasn’t been able to catch a break since joining the Kardashian family, even if his relationship with Kourtney is friendly enough for a positive co-parenting dynamic.
Lamar Odom
A few years after Kourtney’s alleged first victim, Khloé Kardashian’s own martyr came around. Lamar Odom and Khloé found each other in 2009 and got hitched after merely one month of dating. That hasty of a relationship would result in bumps along the way for any newlywed, and experience bumps they did. The former basketball player from the Los Angeles Lakers had his marriage with Khloé broadcast for the entire world in Keeping Up With the Kardashians, as well as having their own spin-off, Khloé & Lamar. Although fame and attention weren’t particularly foreign concepts to the player, it seems like the skyrocketing spotlight might have been a bit too much to handle.
In August 2013, Odom disappeared for 72 hours, reportedly to care for some unspecified drug use issue, which led to Khloé filing for divorce not long after. Amid cheating rumors as well as Odom’s ongoing drug abuse, it was understandably too much for her to handle. The divorce procedure was taking a bit too long, to the point that the curse knocked on Odom’s door yet again. The basketball player had a near-fatal overdose in 2015 in a Nevada brothel, facing several strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, and even going into a comatose state in the upcoming months. In order for Odom to benefit from Khloé’s health insurance, the divorce had to be postponed.
However, in 2016 the pair officially signed the papers. Since then, Odom and Khloé have had mutual care and respect for each other, and the ex-NBA player is now thriving with his own music and film production company, Rich Soil Entertainment. Hopefully in the years to come, Odom’s luck will continue to improve following his split from the Kardashian clan.
Kris Humphries
Humphries’ short-lived romance with Kim Kardashian is one for the books. The former NBA star met Kim in 2010, and pressure got to Kim before everyone knew it. Merely seven months later, the couple got engaged, and in a seemingly Kardashian manner, just three months after their engagement, they got married. Just like that, the infamous 72-day marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries was born.
Lasting less than three months, Kris and Kim’s marriage came to an abrupt end when Kim decided to file for divorce. In 2021, she admitted in the Keeping Up With the Kardashians 20-year reunion hosted by Andy Cohen that she “felt pressured” dating Humphries so publicly and feared “letting everyone down” when she considered breaking off the engagement with Kris. This time, the reality star was the one who couldn’t handle the claustrophobic feeling of having her life displayed in front of millions of people.
Humphries, on the other hand, did not take the marriage ending so lightly. With strong faith, the former NBA player even wanted an annulment of the marriage to avoid tainting his religious beliefs. Humphries also admitted to getting booed during an NBA game as his popularity began to decrease following his appearance on the Kardashian show, thus making him yet another alleged victim of the Kardashian Curse.
Tyga
At some point, everyone on the internet knew of the somewhat controversial romance between Tyga and Kylie. With the entire world watching just about every step of their relationship, this couple seemingly couldn’t catch a break that wasn’t public. Kylie and Tyga met in 2011, but it wasn’t until 2014 that the duo started going out more often. Kylie, only 17 at the time, started getting chummy and partying with the then 24-year-old rapper in a rapid and barely-legal rumored romance.
Tyga, who already shared a child with his ex, Blac Chyna, denied the dating rumors for quite some time. Their relationship was definitely interesting, to say the least, not only due to the age gap but also because of the spiderweb family ties they had. Blac Chyna would go on to become the youngest Kardashian’s wife and baby mama after being married to Tyga, who was then dating Kylie Jenner. Confusing, but that’s the Kardashian family for you.
Tyga and Kylie’s relationship came to an end in 2017 once the curse started settling in. Tyga got into a lot of debt, owing money to his landlord and having his Ferrari repossessed alongside several other money scandals that then resurfaced. No one knows exactly why the couple called it quits, but Tyga definitely became a victim of the Kardashian Curse, and now there’s no going back.
James Harden
The Kardashians seem to have an affection for NBA players, and James Harden was not lucky enough to escape their jinx. After a short-lived fling with French Montana, Khloé jumped into a relationship with Harden, but similar to her previous pseudo-monogamous relationships, Harden also succumbed to bad commitment habits.
The couple called it quits in February 2016 only eight months after the start of their relationship. During an episode of E!’s Kocktails with Khloé, the Kardashian went on to explain that the relationship they had was meant to be casual, but Harden took it to another level.
Harden also admitted to having some issues with the level of fame that follows the Kardashian family wherever it goes. In a Time Magazine interview, Harden admitted that fame “was just too much” and that he disliked his name being in the tabloids “for no reason” and “didn’t like all the attention.” Harden also admitted that constantly being the center of attention also distracted the player from the games, proving Jenner’s point that the men around them aren’t ready for the media coverage.
Travis Scott
Not long after Tyga and Kylie’s tempestuous relationship, the youngest Jenner was ready to settle down and finally have the family she wished for. Travis Scott and Jenner got closer during Coachella, although the exact time of their meeting has been forgotten by the pair. The then 20-year-old and the “Astroworld” singer eventually made sparks fly, and not long after, Kylie’s internet presence came to a suspicious halt.
That same year, Jenner announced her pregnancy, putting an end to all rumors surrounding her secret vanishing and in February 2018, the couple welcomed their first child together. However, it all came crashing down when the couple was hit with a cheating scandal in 2019. Allegedly, Kylie confronted Travis upon seeing too-friendly Instagram DMs with a few women, causing the rapper to delete his Instagram account and only adding fuel to the rumors. Those allegations were later denied, but the couple did break up that same year, deciding to amicably co-parent.
Since then, the new parents have reignited their relationship, but the Kardashian Curse is still at large. During Lollapalooza, a four-day festival held in Chicago, Scott was the target of incredibly harsh criticism. The tragedy occurred when a few fans, including a child, passed away from asphyxiation during Scott’s performance. The audience yelled at the singer to stop the concert and seek help from his fans, but to no avail. Since then, Scott has faced many online critics claiming the singer was ignoring the pleas and accusing him of being an accomplice in the accidental deaths. The curse, however, seemed to break its magic earlier this year when the couple welcomed their second healthy baby, Wolf Webster.
Ye
Another alleged victim of the curse is none other than the rapper and producer Ye. Previously known as Kanye West, the multiple Grammy Award winner met Kim in 2003, but their relationship didn’t see the light of day until 2012 when they publicly announced their romance. During that same year, the pair went on to announce their first pregnancy and welcomed their firstborn in 2013. A few months later, Ye’s passionate and grand proposal to Kim was televised in Keeping Up With the Kardashians and the pair exchanged vows in 2014.
A couple of years later, the couple welcomed their second child, but bad luck didn’t knock on Ye’s door until 2016, when he suffered from his first public breakdown. The “Donda” musician was hospitalized and diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder during his hospitalization. The estranged couple went on to have a few more marital hiccups, especially after Ye’s infamous Twitter rants. They were still committed to making it work, even renewing their vows in 2019 and shortly thereafter welcoming their fourth child, Psalm.
However, it seems that love and commitment weren’t enough to save their marriage, or Ye from the curse. In 2020, West had a few more mental disorder episodes and, as someone who is so used to being in the public eye, he took it to social media, calling out the Kardashians’ negative family traits. West’s comments greatly impacted their relationship, causing Kim to call it quits on their marriage just a year later. With a few ups and downs since then, Ye is now seen thriving and with a new song out alongside Cardi B and Lil Purk, perhaps finally free from the Kardashian Curse.
Travis Barker
The most recent alleged victim of the Kardashian Curse seems to be Travis Baker. Barker and Kourtney officially confirmed their relationship in 2021 after a few months of dating. The pair was absolutely smitten, and just a few weeks ago, they tied the knot in a Santa Barbara courthouse. The loving couple also shared their vows in a loving and grand ceremony in Portofino, Italy, just a week later.
The newlywed couple has had quite a bit of backlash, especially considering the couple just can’t keep their hands to themselves, and the PDA seems to be making the internet, and the couple’s children, very uncomfortable. In recent news, Baker was hospitalized for pancreatitis on June 29, leaving fans wondering if this is just the start of another alleged curse victim. Either way, everyone wishes for Travis’ speedy recovery.
With a handful of alleged victims, it seems like the list of those falling under the Kardashian Curse is only growing longer. Whether or not it is real, no one can confirm, but it seems like every man who gets a bit too close and personal with this multi-millionaire family is bound to fall off the rails at some point or another. Newcomers to the clan, beware!