Van Jones Confirms What We Suspected About His Relationship With Kim Kardashian

When Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye "Ye" West in February 2021, fans were eager to see who'd she date next. At the time, a source told Page Six that Kim was being courted by "everyone from royal family members to A-list actors to athletes to billionaire CEOs." However, Kim instead went on to date "SNL" star Pete Davidson.

Despite Kim's taken status, fans couldn't help but feel for Van Jones, who was once rumored to be one of her suitors. The two became close after Kim decided to follow in the footsteps of her father, Robert Kardashian, and study law in 2019. Jones reportedly encouraged Kardashian in her studies and even gave her valuable connections by allowing her to work as an apprentice at his criminal justice non-profit, per E! News.

Though rumors ran rampant that the two were more than friends, Kim clarified she wasn't dating anybody during the reunion episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" in June 2021 (via Page Six). However, Jones didn't seem to mind being dragged into the rumor mill. In fact, he has credited Kim for upping his cool factor, and recently shared where the two stand now in their relationship.

Van Jones is grateful to Kim Kardashian for making him cool again. In his latest podcast, "Uncommon Ground with Van Jones," which will be released on April 6, Jones told Kim that his college friends called him a "hero" over their romance rumors, even though they weren't true. "It was so weird," Jones said (via Page Six). "I was like, 'No, we're just working on trying to get people out of prison,' but it was a cool rumor."

Kim, for her part, said that many people asked her about Jones. "I was like, 'You guys ... I need a minute before I'm out there. You know? Give me a minute, at least," she said. Meanwhile, during the time rumors were spreading, Kim was actually busy studying for her bar exam, which she had failed three times previously. The SKIMS founder told Jones about her struggles. "I thought ... maybe [I'm] not meant to do this," she said. "And you guys kept pushing me and, you know, obviously not to make any excuses, but you know, with four kids and work and so much going on, I realized I just wasn't ready like at those times, but I never gave up."

While Kim is still a while away from becoming a lawyer, Jones has belief that she'll be successful in the field, saying on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last May that she's already "one of the best advocates that we have in criminal justice."