Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson have had multiple ups and downs during their five-year relationship.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, 37, and the Sacramento Kings player, 30, first connected in 2016 through mutual friends. Since then, they became parents to their daughter, True Thompson. Unfortunately, Thompson and Kardashian also split up on multiple occasions due to his infidelity. Most recently, the athlete faced a child support lawsuit from Maralee Nichols. The fitness trainer claimed that Thompson fathered her child while he was with Kardashian earlier this year.
Here’s a look back on the couple’s journey over the years.
August 2016: Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson’s first public outing
Before she met Thompson, Kardashian had multiple relationships in the spotlight. In 2009, she married Lamar Odom after knowing him for a month. However, they remained together for four years until she filed for divorce in 2013. Kardashian briefly dated NBA star James Harden and rapper French Montana during their separation.
In 2016, TMZ spotted the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and the basketball champion exiting a Beverly Hills mansion together. The snaps came after the outlet saw Kardashian and Thompson outside of Bootsy Bellows’ nightclub at the same time. On KUWTK, she later revealed that the couple had their first date during the event. Since Thompson and Kardashian have mutual friends, they thought the couple might hit it off.
Although the pair kept seeing each other after their blind date, the reality star reportedly wasn’t always invested in the relationship.
“It’s unclear for now if it’s going to turn [into] anything super serious, but for now they’re having a good time together,” a source told People in 2016.
September 2016: The new couple spends Labor Day weekend in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
When Kardashian and Thompson first got together, they kept their romance under wraps. However, the two soon became more serious and spent as much of their free time together as possible. At the time, Kardashian frequently traveled to Cleveland to “support” her man’s career. Thompson played for the Cleveland Cavaliers until 2020.
In September 2016, the Revenge Body host and her new beau attended several events. Kardashian and Thompson traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for Labor Day. Later that month, they jet-setted to Miami for Flo Rida’s birthday. While there, Thompson and Kardashian snapped their first photos as a couple.
October 2016: Khloe Kardashian confirms her and Tristan’s relationship
Although event photographers spotted Kardashian with Thompson at various events, the couple didn’t flaunt their relationship on their social media accounts during the first few months. However, in October 2016, she posted a photo of them in their Halloween costumes.
In the snap, Kardashian dressed up as Storm from X-men while wearing a silver wig, black nails, and stunning eye makeup. Thompson chose Black Panther as his costume and held his girlfriend’s face as they stared into each other’s eyes.
December 2016: Tristan Thompson welcomes a new baby while spending the holidays with Kardashian
After their social media debut, Thompson and Kardashian frequently used Instagram to highlight their relationship. On Christmas Day 2016, the Cavs player posted a photo of him and his girlfriend wearing matching fur coats to wish his fans a happy holiday. The following week, Kardashian shared a photo of Thompson embracing her on the dance floor. While holding his arms, the Good American CEO wore a tight, sparkly dress and a high ponytail.
“Happy New Year!!!” Kardashian captioned. “May you always be surrounded by the love you are deserving of! May God’s blessings continue to rain on us all!”
Thompson’s ex, Jordan Craig, during their first holiday season, gave birth to their son, Prince Thompson. According to several reports, he began dating Kardashian while the blogger was pregnant. However, the KUWTK has denied those claims.
January 2017: Kardashian confirms she’s ‘in love’ with Thompson
Despite Thompson’s baby drama, Kardashian often shared publicly how happy she was with their relationship. In January 2017, People reported that she and Thompson were already exchanging “I love yous.” During her interview with James Corden, Kardashian told the host that she was “in love,” and the couple started using “the L-word.”
Later that month, the influencer gushed more about Thompson in a blog post on her former app. Kardashian stated in the text that their “very normal” relationship drastically improved her health.
“I think when you’re in love, you definitely feel happy and healthy too,” the reality TV star wrote. “I like that my relationship is very normal and doesn’t need to be so publicized all the time.”
April 2017: The couple discusses starting a family
After over a year together, Kardashian and Thompson began talking about their future more. In an interview with Evening Standard, she said they discussed having a baby together. Although she didn’t have a set timeline for their baby, Kardashian professed that “I feel in my soul it will happen.”
Although she always believed she and Thompson would procreate, the Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami star said in 2017 that she wasn’t in a rush to get married. The 33-year-old divorcee didn’t think marriage would change her blissful relationship in any way.
“I’m in the best relationship I’ve ever been in, and it doesn’t take a ring for me to feel that way,” Kardashian said to the Daily Mail.
“I believe in marriage, and I want to be married again one day, but I don’t have a time frame. Why do people think that marriage equates to happiness? There are a lot of people in unhealthy marriages.”
December 2017: Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson confirm she’s pregnant
In 2017, rumors began swirling that Kardashian was expecting her first child with Thompson. People reported the news in September 2017, stating that they were “absolutely thrilled” for their daughter’s birth. However, Kardashian didn’t officially announce the pregnancy until the following December.
“My greatest dream realized!” the KUWTK star wrote. “We are having a baby! I had been waiting and wondering, but God had a plan all along. He knew what He was doing. I simply had to trust in Him and be patient.”
April 2018: Thompson gets labeled a ‘serial cheater’
Kardashian gushed about how supportive Thompson was while she carried their daughter during her pregnancy. In February 2018, they spent Valentine’s Day together with her mom, Kris Jenner, for a couple’s dinner. That Spring, Kardashian also shared several moments from the pregnancy, including her and Thompson’s baby shower.
While awaiting her baby’s birth, the E! star faced devastating news about her boyfriend. In April 2018, TMZ posted a clip of Thompson allegedly kissing two other women at a different venue.
Although a source from People deemed him a “serial cheater,” Kardashian forgave her baby daddy in time for their daughter’s birth. On April 12, they welcomed True Thompson into the world.
November 2018: They spent Thanksgiving as a family in Cleveland
Kardashian filmed True’s birth for KUWTK. She invited Thompson to the hospital to see their child on the show. She later explained via Twitter that the NBA star deserved to see his daughter, despite his alleged infidelity.
After True was born, Kardashian and Thompson decided to stay together. In August 2018, the couple even joined Kendall Jenner and her ex, Ben Simmons, on vacation. By Thanksgiving 2018, Kardashian tweeted that she and True were traveling to Cleveland to be with Thompson.
February 2019: Tristan Thompson allegedly kisses Jordyn Woods after breaking up with Khloe Kardashian
In 2019, Thompson and Kardashian turned over a new leaf. However, reports surfaced that she felt like a “single mom” due to his absence. However, Kardashian debunked those rumors by sharing a photo of roses sent to her by Thompson.
Several days later, Hollywood Unlocked reported that the NBA star kissed Kylie Jenner’s former best friend, Jordyn Woods. The cheating scandal went viral, and Woods defended herself during an episode of Red Table Talk. Shortly after the news broke about the alleged infidelity, Kardashian and Thompson broke up.
May 2019: They navigate co-parenting True Thompson
KUWTK fans watched the Kardashian struggling to forgive Thompson’s actions following their breakup. During one episode, she opened up about hosting True’s first birthday with her ex.
Although they weren’t together, Kardashian didn’t want Thompson to miss a significant milestone. However, she reportedly wasn’t ready to give her ex another chance. A source told People in 2019 that Kardashian was “much better off” without Thompson.
April 2020: Khloe Kardashian considers making Tristan Thompson her sperm donor
After a difficult 2019, Kardashian and Thompson did their best to stay cordial for True. Nonetheless, the NBA star didn’t shy away from showing his ex some public admiration. In November 2019, he congratulated “Momma KoKo” on her People’s Choice Award win.
By 2020, Kardashian and Thompson’s co-parenting relationship shifted. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, he moved back to LA to be closer to True. In April, the pair celebrated their daughter’s second birthday at Kardashian’s home. On KUWTK, she also revealed to her family that she and Thompson were considering having another baby. However, Kardashian wanted her ex to be a sperm donor.
June 2021: Kardashian shared why she took Thompson back
Thompson and Kardashian didn’t publicize their fresh start at first. However, she shared on Instagram that they were supposed to get back together in a heartfelt post. The 37-year-old mother of one also said on the KUWTK reunion that she chose to focus on Thompson’s current “efforts” rather than his past mistakes.
“I mean, I definitely trust him as a friend and all those things… What I need to find out, everything comes my way,” she said. “I just need to trust and focus on today and go day by day. I can’t worry too much about everything else.”
July 2021: Tristan Thompson reportedly cheated again
Despite trying again, Thompson and Kardashian faced more infidelity rumors. During an episode of the No Jumper podcast, Sydney Chase claimed that she and the former Boston Celtics player hooked up while dating Kardashian. Although Thompson denied the claims via Twitter, his actions were reportedly too much for the reality star.
December 2021: Khloe Kardashian’s ex gets accused of having another baby
Thompson’s relationship with Kardashian took another blow in December 2021. As Monsters and Critics previously shared, the NBA star allegedly conceived another child with Nichols. The Houston native claimed in court that the pair were together during his birthday celebrations in March. Since then, text messages surfaced of Thompson reportedly asking the new mom to have an abortion.
Over the past few days, neither the athlete nor Kardashian has addressed the paternity allegations.