Kim Kardashian is once again requesting an end to her marriage to Kanye West.
If this has felt like the longest divorce ever, you're not entirely wrong. Sure, Kim and Kanye don't have Brad and Angelina beat, but what once seemed like an amicable, simple situation has taken some seriously Hollywood twists and turns that are going to take a while to straighten out.
Kim first filed for divorce in February 2021, after seven years of marriage. Though Kim has been receptive to being there for Kanye and keeping an amicable relationship for the sake of their kids, he has not felt quite the same, especially as Kim's relationship with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson has grown.
In new documents filed on February 23, attorneys for Kim Kardashian say that Kanye West's efforts to impede her divorce request "should be rejected."
"Since filing for divorce, Mr. West, by his actions, has made it clear that he does not accept that the parties' marital relationship is over," the documents state, per People.
"Mr. West has disseminated on social media the parties' private communications and misinformation about personal family matters and co-parenting, which has caused emotional distress," the documents read.
"Terminating marital status should help Mr. West to accept that the parties' marital relationship is over and to move forward on a better path which will assist in peacefully co-parenting the parties' children."
Kanye's attorneys recently shot down Kim's request to be declared legally single as they settle matters of custody and assets in their divorce. Kanye made some unusual requests in his response, including asking that they establish a “right of reimbursement," in which either party would be reimbursed monies owed in case one of them died. Kanye also asks that no assets are transferred out of trusts they created, both items which Kim's attorneys say are addressed in the terms of their prenuptial agreement.
Kanye also notably asked that Kim waive marital privilege until the two reach a final custody agreement on their four kids, as well as a finalized property agreement. That would make all communications between Kim and Kanye part of the court record. Additionally, he wants Kim to waive the privilege if she remarries so any conversations about custody would be accessible for legal proceedings in a court.
Kim and Kanye's prenuptial agreement has kept their assets separate throughout the duration of their marriage, however. The fact that most of these matters are elsewhere addressed has led Kim's attorneys to claim Kanye is trying to "rewrite the terms of the parties' prenuptial agreement."
"There are no community property assets or debts. Mr. West does not claim otherwise," the documents state.
Furthermore, they note that "counsel's bold statement that the parties' prenuptial agreement is irrelevant does not make it so, nor does Mr. West or his counsel explain why this is so."
Kim echoed the legal argument for the end of the marriage in her personal declaration of her experience with the divorce thus far, which was included with the legal filings.
"I very much desire to be divorced. I have asked Kanye to keep our divorce private, but he has not done so," Kim says.
"Kanye has been putting a lot of misinformation regarding our private family matters and co-parenting on social media which has created emotional distress."
"I believe that the court terminating our marital status will help Kanye to accept that our marital relationship is over and to move forward on a better path which will assist us in peacefully co-parenting our children," she continued.
"While I wish our marriage would have succeeded, I have come to the realization that there is no way to repair our marriage. Kanye does not agree but at least it appears that he has come to the realization that I want to end our marriage, even if he does not. I ask that the Court restore me to the status of a single person so that I can begin the healing process and so that our family can begin the healing process and move forward in this new chapter in our lives."
Kim's tone in the statement echoes her statement on Kanye's Instagram tirades against her, which have included criticism of her parenting for letting their 8-year-old daughter, North, on TikTok.
"Kanye's constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create," Kim responded to Kanye's rants on her Instagram story.
"As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision – because it brings her happiness," Kim continued.
"Divorce is difficult enough on our children and Kanye's obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all."
"From the beginning I have wanted nothing but a healthy relationship because it is what is best for our children and it saddens me that Kanye continues to make it impossible every step of the way," she continued.
"I wish to handle all matters regarding our children privately and hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably."
The public back-and-forth between Kim and Kanye has been quiet as Kanye focuses his attention on promoting his new album, Donda 2. Still, the album, which is peppered with lyrics about his marriage and divorce, shows that Kanye hasn't shared his last thoughts about all of this. Whether Kim continues to occasionally speak out in her legal documents or on her Instagram is yet to be seen.