Kim Kardashian and Kanye West started dating in 2012, and they have been an item ever since. They've gone from being a celebrity couple with their own single name moniker "Kimye" to creating a beautiful family together that includes four children. Their fans have witnessed the pair go through their highest highs and lowest lows together, and they've managed to grow more united. But in 2020, the couple has been going through what seems to be one of their toughest challenges to date and it isn't clear whether they will be able to find their way through it together.
More from MamásLatinas: Kanye West's most controversial moments
Kanye was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder in 2016 and Kim has been supportive through any episodes he has had, and that includes his most recent outbursts in real life and on Twitter. It's clear that Kim wants to continue to help Kanye and be by his side, but only time will tell if they will make it through together or not. In the meantime, let's review their relationship timeline and how they got to where they are now.
They started off as just friends.
Kim and Kanye were friends for quite a while before taking their relationship to the next level. Kim previously revealed that the pair met while Kanye was recording a song with singer Brandy, around 2002 or 2003. The reality TV star and the rapper have since been involved in each other’s lives, and Kim posed for a photo with the musician’s then-fiancé, Alexis Phifer, in 2007.
Kanye always kept his eyes on Kim.
Kanye previously opened up about being interested in getting to know Kim as soon as he laid eyes on her. After the pair started dating, Kanye told Ryan Seacrest the story of falling for Kim. "I just knew I wanted her to be my girl for a long time," he said in 2013. "I remember I saw a picture of her and Paris Hilton, and I remember telling my boy, 'Have you seen that girl Kim Kar-dijon?'" There’s photo evidence of how into her he was at the time, in a snap the pair posed for together along with her sister, Kourtney Kardashian, at Flaunt magazine's 10th anniversary party.
Kim kept Kanye close.
Kanye and Kim were photographed together at the Y-3 New York Fashion Week show in 2009, to which she attended alongside her then-boyfriend, Reggie Bus. That year, Kanye was featured on Keri Hilson’s track, “Knocks You Down,” and it was rumored that his verse was inspired by Kim while she was dating the NFL player: "You was always the cheerleader of my dreams / And seemed to only take the head of football teams,” he raps on the track. “And I was the class clown that always kept you laughin' / We were never meant to be baby, we just happened."
They made it official.
Over the years, Kanye made a few appearances on the hit E! reality show, sparking rumors that they were more than friends, but then Kim married Kris Humphries in August 2011. The marriage did not last long, as Kim filed for divorce in October 2011. She started dating Kanye months later.
Kanye addressed the situation in his song "Theraflu." He rapped: "And I'll admit, I fell in love with Kim 'round the same time she had fell in love wit' him / Well, that's cool, baby girl, do ya thing."
The stylish couple began making public appearances together.
The duo attended the 2012 BET Awards together in matching all-white outfits. They sat front row at the show, next to Jay-Z and Beyoncé. They were clearly letting everyone know that they were into each other.
Kim and Kanye announced they were having a baby.
Kanye broke the news that they were expecting their first child after eight months together. "Stop the music! Make noise for my baby mama," he said during a concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in December 2012, pointing at Kim in the crowd. Before welcoming their child, Kim and Kanye attended the 2013 Met Gala together, and she wore a formfitting floral gown showcasing her growing baby bump.
Baby North’s arrival turned the pair into a family of three.
Kim and Kanye became first-time parents after she gave birth to daughter North on June 15, 2013, at Cedars-Sinai Medical hospital in Los Angeles. He was by her side during the delivery. It's funny to remember that when they revealed their child's name was North everyone made such a big deal about the name being strange, and now we're all perfectly used to it like it's no big deal.
Kanye got down on one knee and proposed.
Kanye surprised Kim on her 33rd birthday in October 2013 with an over-the-top proposal. He rented out San Francisco’s AT&T Park and hired an orchestra to play while fireworks lit the sky. The rapper invited her family and friends who watched as he proposed. She, of course, said yes.
They were married in Florence, Italy.
Kim and Kanye surprised their family and friends by flying them out to Florence, Italy, in May 2014, for a lavish, romantic wedding. Kim wore a stunning Givenchy Haute Couture lace wedding gown that hugged her every curve perfectly. Their little girl North was there, but she was so young she probably won't remember the lavish affair.
Then baby No. 2 came along.
The couple welcomed their son, Saint, in December 2015. Again, everyone was shocked by the name the couple chose for their baby. Also, Kim revealed that she had some complications throughout her pregnancy and doctors advised her not to carry any more children after delivering her baby boy.
They became a party of five after daughter Chicago’s arrival.
Kim and Kanye welcomed their third child, a baby girl named Chicago, on January 15, 2018, via gestational surrogate. The choice to use a surrogate made sense for the couple since Kim was advised against carrying any more babies herself. “That is a place that made him [Kanye West], and a place that he remembers his family from… I just felt Chicago was cool and different,” was how Kim explained the choice of Chicago as a name.
Then came Psalm.
On May 10, 2019, Kim and Kanye welcomed their fourth child into the world. His name is Psalm and he was also delivered via surrogate. As for whether the couple will be having any more children, it doesn't look it. “Let me say, being at home with four kids—if I ever thought for a minute that I wanted another one, that is out the door. It’s really tough,” said Kim on a segment for The View.
Kanye wants to make Kim the first lady of the United States.
On July 4, 2020, Kanye tweeted his intention to run for President of the United States: "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States Flag of United States! #2020VISION. Can you imagine Kim filming Keeping Up With the Kardashians from the White House?
Kanye publicly shared extremely private details about his relationship with Kim.
On July 19, 2020, at a campaign rally in South Carolina, Kanye shared that when he and Kim found out that she was pregnant with North, they considered getting an abortion. He went on to say that in the end it was Kim who decided that she was going to keep the baby. "I almost killed my daughter!" he yelled at one point.
Kanye also shared that he's wanted to divorce Kim.
After the rally in South Carolina, Kanye seemed to be going through a breakdown and posted a bunch of tweets, many of which he later deleted. In one of the tweets, he wrote: "I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Waldorf for 'prison reform.'" That meeting took place back in 2018. It's important to note that Kanye was diagnosed having bipolar disorder in 2016 and this particular tweet about wanting to divorce Kim seems to have been part of some kind of bipolar episode.
Kim made her way to Kanye.
Kanye's breakdown and tweet storm came while he was staying at the family's ranch in Wyoming and Kim was in California with the kids. Kim made her way to Wyoming, presumably to be with Kanye and help him get whatever kind of help he needs. Hopefully, having her near will help ground him.
Can they save their relationship?
TMZ is reporting that the couple and their children got on a private plane on Aug. 2, 2020 to take a family vacation. Good for them! We hope that spending time with Kim and his children will help Kanye. We also hope that as a couple and family, they can all pull together and become more united than ever.
