Journey Through Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Relationship Timeline

2002/2003: During the Keeping Up with the Kardashians 10-year anniversary episode, Kim opens up about meeting Kanye right after the turn of the century. “I met him I think in 2002 or 2003,” she says. “He was recording a song with Brandy, and I was her friend. I vividly remember hanging out with him, and then they did a video together, so I’d see him a few times. He was asking his friends, ‘Who is this Kim Kardajan?’ He didn’t know what my name was.”

October 2010: Kanye meets with Kim in NYC while she films Kourtney and Kim Take New York. During this time, Kim is rumored to be dating model Gabriel Aubry, while Kanye has just ended his relationship with Amber Rose.

April 2012: Kanye releases his new track “Theraflu,” revealing the lyrics, “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,” in reference to Kim’s relationship with Kris Humphries. The next day, Kim responds during a Today show interview, saying, “Kanye and I have been friends for years, and you never know what the future holds or where my life will take me. I like the song.”

Khloé Kardashian also coyly addresses rumors that Kim is dating Kanye by saying, “We’ve known Kanye forever. He’s been a great family friend. . . . I think they’re cute together. . . . They’re compatible.” Shortly after, Kim and Kanye make their public debut as a couple on the streets of NYC after weeks of dating rumors.

May 2012: Kim and Kanye show their first PDA on the set of her Vogue Italia photo shoot in LA. The kiss comes just a few days after Kanye attended Kourtney Kardashian’s baby shower with the whole Kardashian family.

July 2012: Things get more serious as the couple escapes to Mexico for a vacation with pal Joe Francis.

September 2012: Kim and Kanye make the rounds during Paris Fashion Week, and Kim breaks from the festivities to gush about Kanye’s great taste. She tells E! News that she wasn’t worried about what Kanye would give her for her birthday, saying, “See, the thing is, my boyfriend, he has such good taste that I don’t need to [tell him].”

December 2012: They show lots of love just days after Kanye announces Kim’s pregnancy during a concert in Atlantic City, NJ. Kim later takes to her website to confirm the news, writing, “It’s true!! Kanye and I are expecting a baby. We feel so blessed and lucky and wish that in addition to both of our families, his mom and my dad could be here to celebrate this special time with us. Looking forward to great new beginnings in 2013 and to starting a family. Happy New Year!!!”

January 2013: Kanye and Kim celebrate their baby news by ringing in the New Year in Las Vegas. The following week, it’s reported that they purchased an $11 million Bel Air mansion in LA together.

February 2013: Kim poses for DuJour magazine’s Spring 2013 issue and reveals how dating Kanye changed her: “My boyfriend has taught me a lot about privacy. I’m ready to be a little less open about some things, like my relationships. I’m realizing everyone doesn’t need to know everything. I’m shifting my priorities.” This month, Kim and Kanye also share a rare glimpse at their relationship in a steamy cover shot for L’Officiel Hommes.

March 2013: Kim shows off her growing baby belly at the premiere of Temptation in Atlanta, where she opens up about the pregnancy after a miscarriage scare earlier in the month. She says, “Being pregnant is not as easy as my sister made it look or my mom made it look. It’s a little more painful. I’ve gotten sick a couple times.”

Kim also appears on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno to talk about baby names. She and Kanye haven’t revealed if they’re expecting a boy or a girl, but she and Jay Leno throw around ideas, and Kim shares that she and Kanye “have a list, and some of them are K names and some of them aren’t.” Jay brings up the rumor that they’re thinking of North West, and Kim quickly denies the idea, going on to say, “One of the names I do like – I like Easton. Easton West. I think that’s cute.”

April 2013: Kim and Kanye step out in NYC as news breaks that Kim and Kris Humphries have reached a divorce settlement. Earlier, she had expressed concern about still being legally married to Kris when giving birth to her child with Kanye: “I firmly believe that an immediate dissolution of our marriage will help create a new, full life for me. I do not want to be married . . . when I have my baby.”

May 2013: Kanye and Kim reportedly go house hunting as they prep for the arrival of their first child. The couple remain quiet on the gender of their baby, though it’s all but confirmed that they’re having a girl when pink baby-shower invitations featuring a ballerina are sent out. The duo then attend the Met Gala together. Inside the event, Kanye takes the stage to perform and defend Kim against haters, saying that she shouldn’t worry about what others think.

June 2013: Kim is surrounded by friends and family, including Kanye, at her Beverly Hills baby shower. The couple ask for donations to Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital instead of gifts for their baby girl. They have even more to celebrate, since Kim’s divorce from Kris Humphries is finalized.

A week later, Kanye’s rep responds to rumors that he cheated on Kim with model Leyla Ghobadi, saying, “This most recent attack on Kanye West and his family is totally without merit. It’s a blatant attempt by a misguided individual who is clearly seeking publicity and another in a series of malicious stories drummed up by noncredible ‘news’ sources. This is a sad attempt to hurt two people trying to live their lives.”

Kim and Kanye then welcome their daughter on June 15. The baby girl is born a few weeks ahead of her anticipated due date but is healthy. It isn’t until almost a full week after her birth, when her birth certificate becomes public record, that the little girl’s name is revealed as North “Nori” West.

August 2013: The first photo of North is revealed on Kris Jenner’s talk show Kris, when Kanye appears as a guest.

October 2013: Kim and Kanye get engaged in a surprise proposal at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. She shares the exciting news on Instagram by posting a snap of her 15-carat diamond ring and the words “Please marry me” on the Jumbotron.

March 2014: After plenty of talk about the nuptials from Kim over the previous weeks, the couple finally set a wedding date, with plans to marry in Paris on May 24.

During this month, Kim also gets her Vogue cover! After much speculation, she and Kanye land the coveted spot on the magazine’s April issue – North even gets in on the action!

April 2014: Kim seemingly gives away details about her nuptials when she travels to Paris and tours the Chateau Louis XIV with Balmain’s creative director, Olivier Rousteing. The trip causes speculation that she and Kanye will marry at the newly built castle and that Kim will wear a gown designed by Olivier for her walk down the aisle.

May 2014: Kim and Kanye, along with Kim’s family, arrive in Paris the week before the wedding, despite reports that they will get married in Florence, Italy. After a few days of celebrations with their family and friends in Paris, Kim and Kanye tie the knot in a lavish ceremony in Florence.

After their over-the-top wedding, the newlyweds keep their honeymoon a little more low-key. They travel to Ireland and Prague, where they go to the movies and dine out together. Weeks later, they follow it up with a sunnier trip to Mexico.

June 2014: Kim and Kanye spare no expense celebrating their daughter’s first birthday with a Coachella-themed bash.

September 2014: It’s pretty clear that they’re still in the honeymoon phase when Kim and Kanye can’t contain their love on the red carpet at the GQ Men of the Year Awards. Perhaps they had watched their nuptials on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, since the wedding episode aired just a day earlier.

October 2014: The couple returns to the site of their engagement in San Francisco one year later to watch the Giants play during the World Series as rumors about Kim being pregnant again heat up. She had talked openly about being ready for a second child since July, but her choice of words during an interview put the talk back into the spotlight. When the 10th season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians airs in March 2015, Kim addressed her difficulties getting pregnant a second time.

December 2014: Kim and Kanye’s wedding snap is declared the most liked Instagram post of the entire year, with over 2.4 million likes.

February 2015: The PDA continues at the Grammys, where Kanye performs “Only One,” a song he wrote from the perspective of his deceased mother and dedicated to his daughter. During the month, Kim also takes to Instagram to share the sweet new ink Kanye got of his late mom Donda’s and daughter North’s birth dates on his wrists.

May 2015: Kim and Kanye make yet another stunning Met Gala appearance just weeks before announcing their plans to renew their vows. The couple reveal that they’ll be heading to the Eiffel Tower in Paris to celebrate one year of marriage.

Although they don’t renew their vows over Memorial Day weekend, they celebrate their anniversary by sharing new snaps from their wedding weekend on Instagram. If that’s not exciting enough, the couple wrap up the month with the announcement that they are expecting their second child! Kim reveals she’s pregnant again in a teaser for Keeping Up With the Kardashians that aired on May 31.

September 2015: Kim makes a number of sexy pregnant appearances as she and Kanye prepare to welcome their second child, which they revealed in June is a boy!

December 2015: Kim gives birth to their baby boy on Dec. 5, 2015, and quickly takes to her website to let her fans know that both she and the baby are doing well. Two days later, the couple reveal that they named their son Saint.

February 2016: Kim shares the first photo of Saint when she posts an adorable snap on her Instagram account. The caption? Simply, “SAINT WEST.” She then shares another sweet glimpse of the little one showing off his gorgeous eyes a few weeks later.

April 2016: Kim addresses reports that she and Kanye are experiencing relationship difficulties by clearing things up in a video on her app. “I’ve definitely had my fair share of, like, dramatic relationships,” she says. “Honestly, this is like the most calm and it’s like, nope, we’re still together. We’re happy. There’s just nothing to really report on.”

May 2016: The pair kick off the month by getting cozy on the red carpet at the Met Gala in New York City. They then celebrate their two-year wedding anniversary with sweet messages and gorgeous outings in Europe.

July 2016: Kim comes to her husband’s defense after Taylor Swift criticizes Kanye’s song “Famous” and claims he didn’t have permission to use the lyric, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b*tch famous.” Kim takes to Snapchat to post audio clips of Kanye and Taylor talking about the track before its release, and the recording confirms that Taylor gave Kanye permission to mention her in the song. However, Taylor never approved of the word “b*tch,” which is further proven in March 2020 when the full phone conversation is leaked.

October 2016: Kanye abruptly ends his performance at the Meadows Music and Arts festival in New York after hearing that Kim has been robbed at gunpoint in Paris. Following the harrowing experience, Kim cancels all public appearances and stays off social media for a while. Later in the month, Kanye shares a special tribute to Kim for her 36th birthday.

November 2016: After drawing backlash for ranting about politics during a concert, and subsequently canceling his “Saint Pablo” tour, Kanye is hospitalized for exhaustion and sleep deprivation. Kim remains by his side, but reports claim that their relationship is wavering due to the tumultuous past couple of months.

December 2016: Rumors that Kim and Kanye are facing marital issues continue to unfurl, but many reports state that they intend to stay together.

June 2017: The couple hires a surrogate to carry their third child after Kim is diagnosed with placenta accreta diagnosis, which comes with serious pregnancy-related health risks.

July 2017: Us Weekly confirms that Kim and Kanye’s surrogate is three months pregnant, which means their baby is expected to arrive in January 2018.

January 2018: Kim confirms that she and Kanye hired a surrogate during an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and the duo welcomes their third child, Chicago West, on Jan. 15.

May 2018: The pair celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary. “4 years down and forever to go,” Kim writes on Instagram. “Thank you babe for giving me our family and caring so much about us. Thank you for inspiring me on a daily, I’m so lucky. I can’t wait for forever… Happy Anniversary.”

June 2018: Kanye tells The New York Times that he was worried Kim would leave him after his controversial appearance on TMZ Live.

August 2018: Kris Jenner confirms that Kim and Kanye experienced some “hiccups” in their marriage, especially after Kanye’s politically contentious Twitter rants from earlier in the year. “I think they’re just so solid,” Kris tells Us Weekly. “They’re so connected, and they love each other very much, and they have a family that they’re committed to. They’re committed to one another, and people, you’re not always going to agree with each other forever. You’re going to have differences. You’re going to have things that pop up.” Kris attests to the couple’s dedication to each other, adding, “There’s a lot of things in life as human beings that we all deal with, especially if we have a partner, a spouse. I think they’re so committed to one another that things like that probably bring them closer together.”

January 2019: Kim reveals that she and Kanye are expecting their fourth child via surrogate.

May 2019: Kanye and Kim welcome their fourth child, Psalm West, on May 9. They also renew their vows for their fifth wedding anniversary.

July 2020: Kanye announces that he’s running for president, and Kim appears to support his campaign. However, after Kanye details his plan of action – which involves anti-abortion and anti-vaccine policies – during an interview with Forbes, a source tells Entertainment Tonight: “Kanye’s family will always support him in his endeavors but they also worry for him. Kanye has a tendency to overwork himself physically, emotionally and mentally and not take time to rest and reset . . . The family is supportive of Kanye’s plan to run for president but they don’t agree with his recent interview.”

Later in the month, Kanye holds a political rally in North Charleston, SC, and reveals that Kim refused to abort their daughter North during her pregnancy, despite Kanye’s wishes. “Even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world, even when I didn’t want to. She stood up, and she protected that child,” he says at the gathering. A day later, he takes to Twitter, posting a series of now-deleted tweets claiming that Kim and Kris are sending a doctor to their ranch in Wyoming in an attempt to “lock me up.”

He also says that he’s wanted to divorce Kim since November 2018 after she met with Meek Mill at a criminal justice reform summit. “I’ve been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Warldolf for ‘prison reform,'” he writes. “Meek is my man and was respectful That’s my dog Kim was out of line I’m worth 5 billion dollars and more than that through Christ But ya’ll ain’t listen to MJ and now ya’ll believe them???”

Shortly after, Kim publicly addresses Kanye’s speech and tweet storm. “As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder,” the 39-year-old star writes on her Instagram Stories. “Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand. I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.”

Kim then opens up about the complications of helping a loved one work through a mental illness. “Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor,” she says. “People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.” She ends the statement by asking for “compassion and empathy.”

After Kim shares the post, Kanye issues an apology, tweeting, “I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter. I did not cover her like she has covered me. To Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me.”

August 2020: A source tells Us Weekly that Kim and Kanye are doing better after taking a family vacation. “Kim and Kanye are in a better place. Kanye knows speaking about Kim’s family wasn’t the right thing to do.” Another source tells the outlet that Kim is dedicated to healing their marriage and getting Kanye the help he needs.

October 2020: In honor of Kim’s 40th birthday, Kanye shares a throwback picture of their engagement. He’s noticeably absent from Kim’s birthday party pictures, but he’s still in attendance and gifts her with a hologram of her late father, Robert Kardashian.

November 2020: Kim celebrates the 10th anniversary of Kanye’s album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by sharing a poem he wrote for her while working on the track “Lost in the World.”

December 2020: A source tells People that Kim and Kanye are living “separate lives” and concentrating on their respective projects. E! News also reports that they’re focused on raising their kids while spending some time apart.

January 2021: Page Six reports that Kim and Kanye are preparing to get a divorce. A source also tells E! News that the two are separated, but Kim has yet to file for divorce because “she wants to make sure she’s making the right decision for the kids.” On Instagram, Kim deletes a photo after fans notice that she’s not wearing her wedding band in the snap. Later, she’s photographed wearing the band while visiting her grandmother Mary Jo “MJ” Shannon.