On Monday, Sacramento Kings power forward Tristan Thompson announced via Instagram Stories that he had fathered a child with a woman named Maralee Nichols. This was embarrassing to Khloé Kardashian, who was dating him earlier this year when this child was conceived. “Khloé, you don't deserve this,” he wrote. “You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You don't deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you. I have the utmost respect and love for you. Regardless of what you may think. Again, I am so incredibly sorry.”
Oh brother. Of course, this is not the first time Thompson has publicly cheated on Khloé; he was caught hooking up with several women when she was pregnant with their child, True, in 2018, and then he “made out”with Khloé’s sister Kylie Jenner’s now-ex-BFF Jordyn Woods in 2019. There were also probably other incidents that did not end up becoming storylines on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Given this new information (Thompson fathering another child while dating Khloé and then being forced to apologize on Instagram Stories after taking a paternity test), we have to ask: Is Thompson the worst, most embarrassing Kardashian boyfriend of all time?
It’s tempting to say yes. But there have been many bad boyfriends in the history of Kim, Khloé, and Kourtney Kardashian (2007 – present). Let’s take a look at the other guys we have come to know and be skeptical of over the years. (We will reserve judgment on those boyfriends who did not or have yet to appear on Keeping Up With Kardashians and/or The Kardashians on Hulu, including Pete Davidson, Travis Barker, James Harden, Younes Bendjima, etc.)
Rashad McCants (dated Khloé in 2009)
In an early episode of Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami, Kim Kardashian famously hacked into Khloé’s then-boyfriend Rashad McCants’s voicemail to discover on-camera that McCants was cheating on Khloe. That was probably embarrassing for Khloé, but it seemed to embarrass McCants more: He told Page Six the scene was “fake” and later claimed that the press around his relationship with Khloé cost him $70 million in potential NBA earnings. Okay man.
Rating: Embarrassing But We’ve Already Forgotten About Him
Reggie Bush (dated Kim 2007 - 2010)
What I remember most about this relationship is that Kim created a “sexy calendar” for Bush and then Kris Jenner went behind her back and sold it to the public. I guess that was embarrassing, but it wasn’t Bush’s fault. In 2018, he said nice things about Kim to Us Weekly.
Rating: Probably Fine
Lamar Odom (married to Khloé 2009 – 2016)
Of course, Odom had his issues, but he was clearly in love with Khloé. And that is the least embarrassing thing ever.
Rating: We Hope He’s Doing Well
Scott Disick (dated Kourtney 2007 – 2015)
Oh, the times we’ve had with Scott Disick. For one, he calls himself a Lord. For two, it doesn’t seem like he ever really stopped drinking, and I know you can’t believe everything you see on reality TV, but it does appear that his drinking has caused him to embarrass Kourtney and himself in innumerable ways. And since Kourtney finally dumped him in 2015, he has made a career out of dating 19-year-old nepotism models — one of the most embarrassing careers to pursue. Still, I don’t think the Kardashians would have a show without him, which is probably upsetting for them to contemplate.
Rating: Embarrassing But We Need Him
Kris Humphries (married to Kim for 72 days in 2011)
This guy was rude. And he arguably caused Kim more embarrassment than any other boyfriend in her life, despite the fact that they were together for such a brief time. After their divorce, she had to go on Oprah to apologize to America about it. To her credit, however, she has never said exactly what went wrong in the relationship; last year, she told Andy Cohen that she got “claustrophobic” living with him after their made-for-TV wedding. “He had size like, 17 shoes lined up around my whole room and I just freaked the fuck out,” she said.
Rating: On a Gut Level I Don’t Like Him
French Montana (dated Khloé circa 2014)
This relationship mostly played out on Kourtney and Khloé Take the Hamptons. The producers constantly subtitled French Montana, which is embarrassing for them in retrospect. He always seemed nice and willing to do what Khloé wanted for the show. Maybe she should call him?
Rating: Can’t Complain
Kanye West (married to Kim 2014 – 2021, divorce ongoing)
I can’t even get into this one. Last night he was photographed taking Julia Fox to Carbone in New York after taking her to Carbone in Miami.
Rating: To Be Continued
Okay, I guess we can say confidently that Tristan Thompson is the worst, most embarrassing Kardashian boyfriend of all time. But Kris Humphries is a close second. Feel free to disagree in the comments.
