On Wednesday, nearly eight years after her marriage to Ye, Kim Kardashian became a single woman.
Kardashian’s application for legal status was approved by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steve Cochran. He smoothed over some of Ye’s, then known as Kanye West’s, procedural objections to the change while dismissing others.
Kardashian was put under oath to make a series of declarations necessary for the legal motion, and she appeared at the court via videoconference.
“Mother, I’m going to ask you a series of questions right now,” said Cochran, a colorful judge who refers to all divorcing parents as “mother” or “father” in his courtroom.
“Did issues, disagreements, and differences lead to the breakup of your marriage?” they asked. “Is it your wish to become a single person?” and “Is it your want to become a single person?”
“It is granted,” Cochran stated after Kardashian responded “yes” to all of the questions.
While child custody and property concerns are resolved, the court might enable a person who is going through a difficult divorce to become legally single.
Cochran was overjoyed that the case was finally moving ahead after months of delay.
The judge told Kardashian, “We’ve made a lot of progress in here.” “We’re moving like a European train, swiftly and on schedule.”
He also got rid of the West part of Kardashian’s name.
“We’re about the kids here,” Cochran proclaimed as the hearing began and Kardashian was on the line. “We have two, four, six, and eight,” the couple says, referring to the ages of their four children. “Does everyone seem to be doing well?”
“Everything is OK,” Kardashian said.
“Are you lavishing attention on them?” Cochran inquired.
“Absolutely,” responded Kardashian, who sat at a white counter and drank from a cup while appearing on a video screen.
The day before the hearing, Ye sacked his counsel, Christopher Melcher, and replaced him with Samantha Spector, who had less than 24 hours to prepare before appearing in court.
Kardashian’s attorney Laura Wasser told the judge, “One might say that was intentional on Mr. West’s behalf,” implying that it was a delaying strategy.
Spector, on the other hand, went forward and did not seek for a postponement.
Kardashian, 41, divorced from Kanye West a year ago. Ye, 44, submitted his answer two months later, agreeing on all key matters, including child custody. Because a prenuptial agreement was in place, there were no property disputes predicted.
Neither of them spoke publicly about their breakup until lately, when Ye began ranting on social media about Kardashian, her family, and boyfriend Pete Davidson. He said that he is not permitted to make significant parenting decisions and that he has been excluded from their four children’s birthday parties and other celebrations.
At the hearing on Wednesday, Spector stated that she and Ye just wanted a few technical concerns resolved before the single status was announced.
She informed the judge, “Mr. West has no problems to pushing this ahead.”
They included dealing with two Kardashian retirement accounts and other assets, as well as a financial arrangement in the event that one of them passes away.
According to Spector, Ye is also seeking that if Kardashian remarries, he has the opportunity to interrogate her new spouse under oath.
The judge promptly dismissed the notion.
“I’m curious whether there has ever been a scenario when that has been tolerated?” Cochran explained.
Spector said that she couldn’t come up with any.
Cochran ordered the attorneys into the hallway twice to iron out concerns and fill up paperwork as he heard other cases, determined to go forward while the matter was in front of him.
Changes to Ye’s name on forms were among the difficulties. He officially changed his name lately, but his name was still recorded as Kanye West on the divorce papers.
During the court, Spector also stated that no formal agreement had been reached on child custody arrangements, and that the pre-nuptial agreement had not yet been admitted as official evidence.
Future hearings and even a trial will address these problems.
Outside of court, Spector remained silent.
It marks the end of Kardashian’s third marriage as a reality TV star, businessman, and influencer, as well as Ye’s first marriage as a rap and fashion mogul. Theirs was one of the most well-publicized celebrity marriages in recent years.
Cochran, who spoke while wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers facemask, had requested parents to show him images of their children at the close of prior sessions on Wednesday.
Cochran assured Kardashian that he would not require her to bring up photographs of her children to the screen after proclaiming her single.
“While we’re in here, Mother, it’s my habit to view images of the children,” he explained, “but we’re going to safeguard and respect their privacy, OK?”
With a smile, Kardashian answered, “OK.”
