One of the biggest dramas to plague the Kardashian-Jenner family was Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson’s relationship. The NBA player cheated on the reality star several times over the course of their on-and-off, years-long relationship. Now, he’s coming clean about why he really did it. Keep reading to find out the reason why Tristan stepped out on Khloé.
How Many Times Did Tristan Thompson Cheat on Khloe Kardashian?
Tristan cheated on Khloé at least three times, according to public knowledge. In early 2018, multiple reports surfaced claiming that the basketball player hooked up with multiple women while the Good American founder was pregnant with their first child, True. Photos quickly circulated online of Tristan making out with a woman at a New York City venue. Shortly thereafter, additional videos surface that were captured in 2017, revealing Tristan showing off PDA with other women in Washington D.C.
Khloé and Tristan powered through this chapter and stayed together. However, a lot changed in 2019 when he kissed Kylie Jenner’s best friend Jordyn Woods at a party. Kylie and Khloé opened up about the incident during a 2023 episode of The Kardashians, insisting that they were in a good place with Jordyn.
Although Tristan and Khloé broke up, they secretly reunited and were engaged in 2021. However, it was later unveiled that the athlete cheated on the entrepreneur again with a woman named Maralee Nichols in March 2021. He fathered her child, a boy named Theo, and she gave birth to him in December 2021 — the same month that her paternity suit against Tristan surfaced online. At the time, Khloé and Tristan’s surrogate got pregnant with their second child, Tatum.
Why Did Tristan Thompson Cheat on Khloe Kardashian?
Fans of Khloé supported her through the years but still wondered why Tristan chose to step out on their relationship. They finally got closure when he explained his mindset during a season 4 episode of The Kardashians. While discussing his actions with Kourtney Kardashian — who grilled him for his mistreatment toward her sister — Tristan admitted why he hooked up with other women while he was with Khloé.
“I was just cheating for an action, just cheating for a feeling, but also it really came down to not knowing how to love because that’s the way I grew up,” Tristan explained. “What I saw from my dad, how he would treat my mom, as a kid when you see that, the trauma you have — because you can’t protect your mom because you’re so young and ’cause your mom tells you it’s going to be OK — you basically numb your emotions of being scared or feeling sad. It’s my form of a defense mechanism.”
While speaking with Kylie in a separate conversation, Tristan revealed one major fear he has about his mistakes: his and Khloé’s daughter, True, discovering what her father did.
“That’s my motivation more than anything. I never want my daughter to go to school and talk so great about me, and then some little kid comes and is like, ‘Well, your dad is this, this, this,’ and she’ll be embarrassed and that will break my heart,” Tristan noted.
Did Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson Get Back Together?
Khloé and Tristan reunited and split multiple times. However, it appears that the Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum is not looking to rekindle her and her ex’s love. Since his paternity scandal came to light in 2021, Khloé has not gotten back together with Tristan. She has also made it clear that while she wants to include him as the father of their children, she is not eager to reunite with him romantically. They are currently amicable co-parents.