What You Don't Know About Khloe Kardashian

The following article includes mentions of addiction and mental health issues.

With the ever-constant flow of news regarding America's infamous reality TV family, the Kardashian-Jenners, it can be — somewhat ironically — pretty hard keeping up with them! Over the last decade and a bit, the general public has been inundated with the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" stars' stories both on and off screen, from the frivolous and wacky to the calamitous and tragic. Despite their undeniably wealthy lifestyle and extravagant social media presence, this family's lives can mirror regular society in ways that make them feel more relatable than what is shown on the surface.

Fans of the show typically regard Khloé Kardashian as one of the more accessible members of the family — or at least up there with half-sister Kendall Jenner's relatable reputation — often citing her candid approach to life, deep loyalty to her relatives, and openness with the public as a breath of fresh air. But as honest as this Kardashian tries to be, some of the more complex aspects of her lifestyle can get brushed aside in the media madness. Let's discover how her curated image may seem at odds with what happens behind the scenes. This is what you don't know about Khloé Kardashian.

Khloé Kardashian enrolled herself in a homeschool called Alexandria Academy behind her parents' back after she felt uncomfortable at Marymount High School, which sisters Kim and Kourtney Kardashian previously attended.

In her 2021 appearance on Leomie Anderson's "Role Model" podcast, Khloé explained how she was constantly picked on for her looks by her classmates. "I kept getting questioned if I was really related to my sisters, because I look so differently," the star said, having admitted several times over the years that she felt as though she were the "fat, ugly sister." Khloé, who'd previously opened up about struggling to make friends during this time on MTV's "When I Was 17" (via People), added that Kim and Kourtney were considered popular, and she felt like even more of a loner after they graduated from the all-girls Catholic school. "I didn't feel comfortable. I didn't feel safe there," she told Anderson, adding, "I just didn't ... connect."

Her late father, Robert Kardashian, was unhappy when he found out she enrolled in homeschool without permission, having forged her parents' signatures. However, he let his youngest daughter, who'd been struggling academically in the more structured and busier environment of Marymount, attend on one condition — that she maintain a high GPA. "I ended up really advancing and I needed that one-on-one focus," Khloé continued, noting that she ended up graduating early with honors. "I think I just needed to feel just that someone was paying attention to me."

When Khloé Kardashian got arrested for her DUI in 2007, she received a court-ordered probation period that involved mandated community service and completion of alcohol education classes. However, due to an allegedly packed work-life schedule, she didn't fulfill the order — and the probation violation led to a 30-day jail sentence, per In Touch. Luckily for Kardashian, however, overcrowding at the Century Regional Detention Facility led to her release just three hours later.

In a conversation of candid retrospection on the "Role Model with Leomie Anderson" podcast, Kardashian explained her willingness to always be open about past mistakes, including this one. "I think that's why I chose to be so vulnerable, as much as I could, showing ... okay, this was a choice I made, I made a really bad decision," she said about the early days of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," adding as an example, "I showed my DUI and I expressed how stupid and careless and irresponsible that is. I'm not trying to deny I did that." 

Of the criticism she may continue to face for these mistakes, Kardashian continued, "I try to live a very honest life both on camera and off camera, and hopefully people respected that."

Khloé Kardashian struggled growing up with looking different from her sisters, but the difficulty of navigating her body image only increased when her family entered the spotlight. In a 2021 interview with Health, the "Revenge Body" star explained how the pressure to fit the typical beauty standard caused unhealthy habits: "I had tried every diet under the sun. Remember when Beyoncé did that lemon juice and cayenne pepper thing? I was like, sign me up! That's why I yo-yoed my entire life — I was always chasing some fad."

Khloé also admitted to emotional eating in her youth, saying that she felt badly about herself no matter how much she ate. "When it comes to food — I had so many issues. It wasn't from one person, I guess just from society or how people critiqued my body," she added. Deciding to take a more balanced approach to her physical health after her high-profile divorce from former NBA player Lamar Odom, Khloé began her journey toward fitness at the gym.

In a 2020 Instagram livestream for Poosh along with her sister, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé revealed that she'd shed around 60 pounds and stated that she now eats in moderation, hydrates, prioritizes working out, and avoids a diet that involves deprivation. "In this world, I don't really watch what I eat. That doesn't mean I'm sitting here binge eating bags of chips all day. We have good diets, but I love quesadillas," she said, adorably adding of her young daughter, "I love anything True's eating."

Khloé Kardashian believed her denim brand Good American — co-founded with businesswoman Emma Grede — filled a necessary gap in the fashion industry, as she herself knew how hard it was to find fashionable clothing in her size. "I've fluctuated. At my largest, I was a 14 or 16 — which, by the way, is totally standard in the U.S.," she explained to Health. "I always felt excluded from my own family — not by them. On shopping trips, I couldn't shop where they shopped. I'd be indirectly told by brands that their clothes weren't for me because they didn't produce a dress in my size."

When beauty standards set by the industry exacerbated her existing body issues, this KarJenner family member wanted to make sure no one else felt the same way. Explaining that Good American offers up to a size 32, Kardashian refused to make deals with retailers that would not carry the full size range, even if the deals were profitable.

She continued to be adamant about her values, and in an Instagram video shared in October 2021, Kardashian celebrated the five-year anniversary of the brand. Enthused about her efforts toward creating clothing that celebrates diverse body types, the reality TV star wrote in the caption, "5 years of revolutionizing the industry and pushing the boundaries of inclusivity, body representation, and female empowerment."

Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson's on-and-off relationship has been the stuff of headlines since they were first linked back in 2016, in part due to the basketball pro's multiple cheating scandals. Per E! News, just one month before his paternity lawsuit with model Maralee Nichols — with whom he'd admittedly cheated on Kardashian in March 2021 — broke that December, the soon-to-be off-again couple's second child was conceived via surrogate. 

Amid the tabloid-heavy aftermath, the reality star (who revealed on "The Kardashians" that she wasn't aware of this particular scandal until it broke) perhaps understandably wanted to keep the baby No. 2 news on lock. "Khloe kept the pregnancy a secret to protect surrogate privacy and safety and to protect her mental health from judgement from the public as a result of Tristan's actions," a source cited by the outlet explained. However, some loose lips in Kardashian's famous family allegedly spilled the beans, with reports of her second child, a son welcomed in August 2022, eventually leaking that July. Sadly, the insider claimed that this KarJenner hadn't had a chance to share she was expanding her brood with her loved ones at this point.

Of course, it wasn't too surprising that the Good American businesswoman wanted another child with her ex, with whom she's continued to amicably co-parent daughter True. While she has yet to share her son's photo or name, as of this writing, Hollywood Life reports that it's been agreed that Kardashian will maintain sole legal and physical custody of him.

Khloé Kardashian has been open about Tristan Thompson's infamous cheating scandals unfolding on air, but she admitted that watching his paternity-cheating situation play out on Hulu's "The Kardashians" made her feel awkward.

In an episode recorded in October 2021 — two months before the scandal broke — Kardashian revealed she had gotten back together with Thompson and spoke positively of his character, seemingly hoping to ease him back into the public's good graces. "We are actually in a really good place. We just got back together and he has been going to therapy a lot. There has just been a lot of effort on his part," she said (via Us Weekly). However, at the time, the reality star wasn't aware of the impending infidelity and paternity claims, finding out about Thompson's transgressions along with the rest of the public in December 2021. The NBA star later apologized via his Instagram Stories in January 2022, writing (via Page Six), "Khloé, you don't deserve this. You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You don't deserve the way I have treated you over the years."

When the above-mentioned episode finally aired that May, Kardashian took to Twitter to comment on her cluelessness about Thompson's misconduct, quipping alongside an eye-roll emoji, "Well we know how this aged." As the show continued to keep up with the real-life drama, Kardashian tweeted about the KarJenners' emotional support that June: "Rewatching this part is uncomfortable but I love and appreciate my family more than I can express."

Amid the success of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," Khloé Kardashian and then-husband Lamar Odom had their own short-lived spin-off, aptly titled "Khloé & Lamar." However, she didn't want to do the show from the get-go, because their marriage was already tumultuous by that point, but kept it going purely for the former NBA player's sake. "He has his career, but he really fought for it. I said, 'You have to go into E! and promise them that you have the time,'" Kardashian told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. "He sold it, and I let it happen because I wanted him to be happy, but I was the one who canceled it. It was way too much."

She also felt pressured by the network to continue on with the reality TV series, which lasted two seasons from 2011 to 2012. In his 2019 memoir "Darkness to Light," Odom opened up about this difficult time, explaining how he held up his vows to stay faithful at first, but being in the public eye — and becoming better known as a television personality and Kardashian's husband, rather than as a basketball pro — quickly brought him into a downward spiral. 

"I could not handle the lethal cocktail of the spotlight, addiction, a diminishing career, and infidelity," Odom wrote (via People). "Oh, did I mention the paranoia, anxiety, depression. ... Drug addicts are incredibly skilled at hiding their habit. I'd get defensive and Khloé́ would just drop it."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

In 2013, the same year Khloé Kardashian initially filed for divorce from Lamar Odom after four years of marriage, growing suspicions about his behavior led to her hiring a private investigator to watch the former NBA star — through which she discovered his multiple affairs, drug use, and other nefarious activities. According to sources cited by Radar, Odom allegedly had up to five mistresses, and Kardashian obtained photographic and text message proof of his infidelity to show for his violation of their prenup clause.

In his memoir "Darkness to Light," Odom was candid about these past issues, including grappling with sex and drug addiction. "Sex was a trigger for me to do drugs," he explained to People while promoting the book. "Because you double up on [that] good feeling." Admitting to sleeping with over 2,000 women, many of whom were exotic dancers or sex workers, he wrote in the memoir, "It wasn't a big deal, but often I would pay them. I never thought less of them."

When Odom was found unconscious from a drug overdose in a Nevada brothel in 2015, Kardashian briefly rescinded the decision to divorce in order to support his recovery. However, the marriage's end was finalized in 2016, and Odom has since been apologetic over his treatment of Kardashian. "I wish I could have been more of a man," Odom told People in 2019. "It still bothers me to this day. But regret is something we have to learn to live with."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Unlike Kim Kardashian's famous aversion to getting tattoos — KarJenner stans might recall the time she quipped to Wendy Williams, "Honey, would you put a bumper sticker on a Bentley?" — sister Khloé Kardashian has taken more creative liberties with her ink, which showcases a mix of impulse and significance based on placement and prominence alone.

One of those spur-of-the-moment tattoos arrived when Khloé was only 16. According to Hollywood Life, she wanted to memorialize dad Robert Kardashian with a tattoo that bore some importance following his 2003 death. However, the design decision and location were admittedly misguided and mocked for years, as she got the word "daddy" inked on her lower back, with angel wings and a cross added in the mix. In 2015, Khloé took to Snapchat to show the removal process. "The end of an era," she wrote alongside another clip of the moment on Instagram, which she captioned, "Bye Bye Tramp Stamp!!!" Noting that it was "not so cute anymore," she went on to quip, "I should've listened to Kim. ... Bye-bye bumper sticker!!!" Khloé set her sights on a more wholesome tribute to her late father, tattooing "I love you" in Robert's handwriting taken from a birthday card on her inner wrist.

Another decision that didn't stand the test of time was Khloé's matching hand tattoo with ex-husband Lamar Odom, featuring each other's initials, following their whirlwind 2009 marriage. It's unclear exactly when, but both have since gotten the ink removed.

Khloé Kardashian grew up with a strong sense of spiritual faith, which has stayed with her in the hardest of times. In a 2017 essay penned for Lena Dunham's "Lenny Letter," she recounted her views on religion and how it has helped shape her perspective on life, with the reality TV star's interest in theology also inspiring her to learn about other religions, such as Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam. In fact, her ex-boyfriend, rapper French Montana, is of Muslim faith, and she observed Ramadan with him during their short-lived relationship. 

"I practiced it with him to be supportive," Kardashian explained. "I don't believe you need to be a certain religion to embrace someone else's religion. It's a matter of respecting someone. I'm a Christian but I don't think a church necessarily makes you religious."

However, Kardashian struggled with reconciling her faith with Robert Kardashian's death from cancer complications. Describing her late father as a devout Christian, she questioned how a higher being could inflict pain on him and the family. Wisdom from a priest and books about near-death experiences helped her come to terms with the afterlife, writing, "Now I believe that every person serves a purpose and that they have chosen their path." Similarly, Kardashian's faith helped her feel at peace following her divorce from Lamar Odom. "I feel that I kept the serious vows I made in front of God with every inch of my heart," she wrote, "which is why I am still honoring them today even though my relationship with my ex-husband is in a different place."

On the surface, Khloé Kardashian and French Montana had a seemingly close romantic relationship for a little less than a year in 2014, before the reality TV star called things off that September, per E! News. But it has been speculated that the rapper may have been in it for more than just a romantic connection, as he seemingly benefitted financially and from the exposure by appearing on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and its spin-off "Kourtney and Khloé take the Hamptons."

Montana initially teased his turn toward reality TV in an interview with Billboard that August, in which he also name-dropped Kardashian throughout, citing her as a supporter and artistic inspiration for his music and lifestyle. Meanwhile, sources cited by the New York Daily News (via Marie Claire) alleged that E! execs complained that too much money was being spent for Montana's screentime. When their breakup made headlines, an insider told E! News that Montana's allegedly "needy, obsessive behavior" was to blame, with another source claiming to Us Weekly, "It grated on her that he became so dependent on her."

Regardless of whether this celeb couple were a mere PR stunt or the real deal, these two have remained amicable, and Montana has only had kind words for Kardashian. "Me and Khloé are always going to be friends, and the family still remains close," he told Haute Living in 2019. "I feel like we had a real dope relationship. There was no bad blood, nobody did something to somebody that we couldn't come back from. The love was real."

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Khloé Kardashian's fortune clocks in at an estimated $60 million, with a $15 million yearly salary. Her greatest money-making avenue has, of course, been through "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," as well as its many spin-offs. Khloé has also found other avenues of lucrative business with her brand Good American, which is carried at the likes of Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. She might not believe money solves everything, but as a true Kardashian-Jenner, she's never been one to shy away from social media endorsements or the occasional headline-making extravagant purchase, either (take daughter True's $12,500 playhouse, for instance).

While it's unclear exactly how much each Kardashian-Jenner member is making for appearing on and executive producing Hulu's series "The Kardashians" — which has which surely added to their wealth — StyleCaster reports that they were making roughly $4.5 million per season on "KUWTK" going into the final season. Momager Kris Jenner stated to Variety in 2022 that every participating family member on the show would get an equal part of the typical nine-figure deal, and Khloé confirmed as much. By Yahoo!'s estimate, then, each KarJenner is presumably banking around at least $16.6 million for their new show's first two seasons. 

"We are all equals," Khloé told Variety. "It definitely played a factor because we give so much of our personal lives up for entertainment. We always have our private family conversations, and we're pretty brutal, me and my sisters, with what we will settle for or not settle for."