Khloe Kardashian's Mortifying Moment: Slapping Tristan Thompson During Romantic Serenade
Reality television personality Khloe Kardashian has confessed to physically striking her former partner Tristan Thompson during what was intended as a romantic gesture. The 41-year-old star detailed the incident on the latest installment of her Khloe In Wonder Land podcast, describing the episode as profoundly embarrassing.
A Romantic Gesture Turns Sour
Kardashian explained that the event took place several years ago, during a particularly strained period in her turbulent six-year relationship with Thompson, the 34-year-old NBA basketball player. The couple share two children: daughter True, aged seven, and son Tatum, aged three.
"This was years ago. Tatum wasn't born. Yeah, it was just True," Kardashian clarified, placing the incident before their son's birth in November 2021.
Thompson had orchestrated a surprise performance by singer Giveon—now an eight-time Grammy Award nominee—in an attempt to win back Kardashian's affection at a time when she openly admitted to "hating" him.
The Slapping Incident Unfolds
As Giveon performed, Kardashian recalled growing increasingly irritated with Thompson's presence. "I remember I hated Tristan and I was like, 'Why are you doing this?' And Giveon is pouring his heart out," she recounted.
The situation escalated when Thompson attempted to sit closer to her during the musical performance. "And Tristan's trying to sit next to me and I'm like, slapping him, and poor Giveon is still singing," Kardashian said, adding, "It was mortifying."
In an effort to diffuse the palpable tension, Kardashian retreated to find their daughter True, stating she needed "a third person" between herself and Thompson to create physical and emotional distance.
Background of a Troubled Relationship
Kardashian and Thompson's on-again, off-again romance between 2016 and 2021 was consistently marred by Thompson's infidelity scandals. Less than two days before True's birth, reports emerged of Thompson's alleged affair with a New York City strip club bartender.
The couple briefly separated in 2019 after Thompson was photographed kissing Kylie Jenner's then-best friend Jordyn Woods at a party. They reconciled during coronavirus pandemic lockdowns while co-parenting True, only to split definitively in 2021.
That year, court documents revealed Thompson had fathered a child with fitness trainer Maralee Nichols, leading to an emotional outburst from Kardashian on her family's reality show where she described feeling "humiliated" and compared the situation to a "circus."
Current Co-Parenting Dynamic
Despite persistent rumors of reconciliation, Kardashian emphasized on her podcast that she has not allowed Thompson back into her romantic life. "Tristan and I, we have a good co-parenting relationship," she stated.
Addressing public speculation, she clarified: "I think what I find so funny is that people are always like, 'How do you let Tristan back in?' And I'm like, 'Well, Tristan's not back in.' He's just the father of my kids, so he's going to be around his kids and I'm really grateful that he is."
Kardashian expressed appreciation for Thompson's involvement with their children, calling it "a beautiful blessing" that she would never obstruct. "I think it's so important for that relationship to maintain and be as strong as possible," she concluded.
