Rob Kardashian wants to get back to the Kardashian-Jenners‘ early days.
In November 2021, Kris Jenner’s only son hosted a party for his daughter, Dream Kardashian. During the party, fans couldn’t help but notice his physical appearance. Not only did the Arthur George CEO lose weight, but he also glowed in a photo of him holding Dream on his shoulders.
Rob’s seemingly new lease on life comes after several years of health battles. See what the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and his family have said about his wellbeing.
Kris Jenner once said Rob Kardashian’s health made her ‘cry herself to sleep’
In 2007, the Kar-Jenners’ lives changed forever when KUWTK aired on E! Almost instantly, Rob gained attention as the only male sibling on the show. During the early seasons, fans watched him navigate his career as a recent college graduate and his relationships. Some of Rob’s love interests in Keeping Up included The Real host Adrienne Bailon and Khloe’s best friend, Malika Haqq.
As KUWTK progressed, Rob became vocal about his weight gain. By 2014, he started skipping the family’s events and filmed on the show less and less. Eventually, Kris and the rest of the family staged an intervention to help Rob. During the episode, the momager explained how her son’s absence and reclusive lifestyle affected everyone in his life.
“I cry myself to sleep literally every night worrying about [Rob],” Kris admitted. “It’s breaking my heart.”
Rob informed his family that he would work on his health during the family’s intervention.
“First, I don’t believe in rehab or therapy or anything of that sort, and second I’m a grown man and will work on myself when I choose,” he said.
Khloe Kardashian felt like she had to ‘win life’ for Rob
Since KUWTK began, Khloe and Rob have discussed their close relationship. When the Good American star married Lamar Odom in 2009, her brother moved into the couple’s LA mansion. Rob also appeared in Khloe’s show with her ex-husband, Khloe & Lamar.
According to People, the Revenge Body star blamed herself for her brother’s depression and weight gain. In a clip from KUWTK, she explained that her 2013 separation from Odom deeply affected Rob.
“Once Lamar left – and it’s not Lamar’s fault at all – I think Rob didn’t know where to go. He was like, ‘I don’t have guidance anymore,” Khloe said.
True Thompson’s mom also noted that their mom’s divorce from Caitlyn Jenner contributed to Rob’s health struggles. However, Khloe admittedly had to “work on my patience” regarding her brother.
“I’ve been really trying,” she said. “But I have my moments, and I do snap. I’ve offered to get a chef; I’m like, ‘What’s your excuse?’ But it’s not just that. I can’t win life for Rob. I have to wait until [he’s] ready to do it for himself.”
Kim Kardashian said her brother wasn’t ‘confident in his skin’
During Rob’s health issues, Kim Kardashian provided him with the most challenging feedback. On Keeping Up, she frequently scolded Kris and Khloe for making his life too “easy.” She also said she wanted to “give up” on Rob.
Although Kim offered blunt advice to her brother, the KKW Beauty fully supported him in interviews. In 2015, while speaking with Matt Lauer, she gave fans some insight into Rob’s experiences.
“I think he’s just going through a phase where he’s not comfortable in his own skin,” Kim said. “He is working really hard to get back to where he really wants to be.”
When asked if the family’s fame had anything to do with Rob’s depression and weight gain, the mother of four blamed his relationships.
[There were] circumstances in his life that he just really hasn’t dealt with,” Kim explained. “Whether it’s, you know, the loss of our father, or certain breakups or, you know, he was extremely close to Lamar [Odom], and when, you know, Khloé and him broke up, that was really hard on him. So I think it was a couple things.”
The Kardashians supported Rob Kardashian’s decision to leave KUWTK
After several seasons of scaling back his appearances on KUWTK, Rob officially left the show in 2016. Although he continued making small cameos, he was no longer a full-time cast member. The exit came following multiple comments about Rob’s weight and health status.
In January 2016, Kris confirmed that Rob had his family’s support to leave KUWTK. The momager said she only wanted her son to be healthy and felt he needed to work on himself off-camera.
“I think that it was just the perfect time for him to take a little hiatus,” Kris said. “We just said, ‘Get well. Feel better.’ He was depressed and just wasn’t feeling good and didn’t know why.”
“He just wants to feel better,” she added. “It’s not that he doesn’t want to be on the show. It’s just he wasn’t feeling good.”
Rob Kardashian admitted Blac Chyna made him prioritize his health
Rob’s reclusive nature ultimately altered his relationship with his siblings. In an interview with People, he admitted that his weight gain affected his body image. Because of Rob’s low self-esteem, he decided to skip Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 2014 wedding after seeing how he looked in a suit.
Two years after the wedding, Rob’s health issues continued. In October 2015, doctors diagnosed him with Type 2 Diabetes. Months later, Rob became hospitalized for not taking his insulin. Once he left the hospital, he vowed to prioritize his health. At the same time, Rob started dating Kim’s former friend, Blac Chyna. Soon, she became pregnant with Dream. In 2016, while promoting their reality show, he credited Chyna for supporting his weight loss journey through a healthy diet and exercise.
“I’ve been friends with Chyna for a long time,” Rob said of his ex. “She was someone I reached out to for advice. She would cook for me, and we’d just talk. She’s surrounded me with a lot of positivity. From the moment we met, I knew I wanted to be more than friends.”
“She got me through my darkest times,” he added. “I wasn’t happy in my own skin. I missed out on so many things.”
Khloe Kardashian revealed Rob’s dating again and could return to TV
Ultimately, Rob and Chyna didn’t make their romance work. In December 2016, the couple broke up weeks after Dream’s birth. Since then, they’ve made headlines with their lengthy custody battles and other legal issues. In 2017, she filed a lawsuit against Rob for allegedly posting nude photos of her on Instagram.
Page Six reported in February 2021, Chyna also celebrated a win after suing Kris, Kim, Khloe, and Kylie for allegedly getting Rob & Chyna canceled.
“Although Kris Jenner was the ringleader for the plot to get Season 2 of ‘Rob & Chyna’ canceled, Kim Kardashian West, Khloé Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner each separately defamed and intentionally interfered with Chyna’s contract for Season 2 — so all three daughters face a trial by jury for their illegal conduct against Chyna,” her lawyer, Lynne Ciani, said.
Despite his legal woes, Khloe said in June 2021 that Rob feels better about himself and his health. In KUWTK’s reunion with Andy Cohen, the Revenge Body host mentioned that he’s dating again and is open to filming with the family.
“I know Rob is feeling really good about himself, and he’s working really hard on himself, and so I think before he did something like this, where he has to address probably the part that made him want to take a break, [he can start fresh],” Khloe said.
The Kardashians are currently filming their new show on Hulu.