Why Lamar Odom Won't Express His Lingering Feelings To Khloé Kardashian Directly

Lamar Odom just got honest about his true feelings for his ex-wife, Khloé Kardashian.

Last year, the former NBA star expressed his intention to reconnect with Kardashian while appearing on Season 3 of "Celebrity Big Brother," expressing regret for his behavior — which included cheating on Kardashian — while the two were married. "There were so many things that I did wrong when it came to that relationship," he revealed (via People). "If I could take [it] back, of course, I would take it back. It was never my intention to hurt her, but my head just wasn't in the right place. I wasn't taking care of myself." The athlete also admitted that he wasn't "mature enough" back then, and now he knows "what to do and what not to do."

Now, in the recently-released tell-all documentary, "TMZ Presents: Lamar Odom: Sex, Drugs, & Kardashians," the "Khloé & Lamar" star shared that he would still love to ask Kardashian out — but something is holding him back. 

Lamar Odom still has eyes for Khloé Kardashian. In the tell-all documentary, "TMZ Presents: Lamar Odom: Sex, Drugs, & Kardashians," the former athlete was asked if Kardashian was the love of his life, to which he gave a surprisingly candid answer: "I think so. With all those other women I was with, none of them made me feel secure enough."

Odom also doubled down on his desire to reconnect with the Good American cofounder but revealed there was one thing holding him back. "I'm too shy," he explained. "I'm a Scorpio, and I hate being told 'no' and being denied. I'm afraid." If given a chance, Odom said he would appreciate the opportunity to rekindle his relationship with Kardashian, even if it meant just "being her friend."  When asked what he thought about the controversy surrounding her and her ex, Tristan Thompson, Odom admitted he wasn't happy about how their situation played out. "When she gets hurt, of course, that hurts me," he confessed. "I think what hurts me more is that it's not my place to protect her."

Kardashian, for her part, has nothing but good things to say to Odom. In the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" reunion special in June 2021, she shared that she wishes him "nothing but the best and good health" (via Us Weekly). And even though she had to endure a lot, "I loved that chapter in my life. Regardless of how dark and crazy that might sound, it was still just a very significant part of my life and my story, and I wouldn't change it."