A Look Inside The Scandalous Love Life Of Kanye West

Kanye West has never been someone to keep his name out of the news for long. When people aren’t talking about his music or his apparent love for drama, they’re discussing the rumors, scandals, and controversies.

Being one of the most successful rappers globally, it’s not hard for Kanye West to bag himself a girlfriend. If you need proof, just look at the long list of women he’s dated, married, or been associated with. The man hasn’t stopped attracting female attention since he burst onto the scene, making for quite the adventurous love life.

Kanye was with Sumeke Rainey before getting his big break

It’s hard to imagine a world without Kanye West, given the impact he’s had since becoming famous. However, a few decades ago, the man was still relatively unknown. It wasn’t until 2000 that he got his big break, with the rapper gradually establishing himself in the industry over the next few years. Before the world really knew his name was when Kanye seemingly had his first notable relationship, this being with Sumeke Rainey.

Not much is really known about the woman and their romance outside of her apparently being his high school sweetheart. However, West did seemingly reference his girlfriend on ‘Never Let Me Down’ from the album ‘College Dropout.’ Here he talked about a Mr. Rainey passing away and wanting to marry his daughter, although this never happened.

He dated Alexis Phifer and asked her to marry him in the early 2000s

After Sumeke came Alexis Phifer, a fashion designer who reportedly caught the rapper’s eye in 2002. At this point, his career was on the up, with West quickly developing a passionate fanbase. Having Alexis on his arm at the time definitely didn’t hurt the man’s image. However, the pair’s relationship was something of a rollercoaster. The couple split up and got back together at least once during their romance.

That might have suggested that things were never going to work out between them. However, it didn’t stop Kanye from getting down on one knee and popping the question in 2006. Phifer said yes, and fans soon grew excited at the prospect of West finding happiness in marriage. Unfortunately, the engagement fell apart, and they went their separate ways.

West romanced Brooke Crittendon during a break from his relationship with Alexis

Was Alexis always on Kanye’s mind during their first breakup? Apparently not, given that the rapper seemed to move on with someone else. While he and Phifer were temporarily separated, West cozied up to aspiring actress Brooke Crittendon. Their romance reportedly blossomed in 2004 and didn’t stick around for long.

Fortunately, the short length of their romance didn’t leave either of them with a bad taste in their mouth. According to Crittendon, the two of them were still “amicable” some five years later. It’s unclear why their relationship didn’t work out, but given West went back to Phifer, perhaps she really was on his mind after all. He certainly believed that their romance was worth a second chance once things fell apart with Crittendon.

He allegedly had a fling with Sessilee Lopez after she appeared in his music video

By 2008, Kanye’s name was one that the world couldn’t forget. He had four albums under his belt and was easily one of the most famous rappers in the industry. With him being so prominent, his love life became the source of much speculation and rumors. One potential romance that prompted some gossip at the time was an alleged fling with Sessilee Lopez.

The woman appeared in his ‘Flashing Lights’ music video, with fans soon wondering whether there was a spark there. If there was, it didn’t last for long. West and Lopez supposedly never made things between them official, suggesting that their love was nothing more than a bit of fun. That’s assuming that their love even existed in the first place, of course.

Kanye and Amber Rose got together in 2008 and boosted her public profile

Sessilee might not have been a confirmed girlfriend, but the woman who followed certainly was. In 2008, Kanye went public with his relationship with Amber Rose. Like Lopez, Rose also appeared in one of West’s videos, this time for the song ‘Put On.’ Evidently, the rapper enjoyed what she had to offer because a romance quickly blossomed between the pair.

Rose was something of an unknown back then, so being on Kanye’s arm definitely didn’t do her career any harm. She seemingly wasn’t with him to boost her reputation, though. The couple looked to have something good going, with Amber coming in at the perfect time to mend West’s heart. After all, it wasn’t long before the two got together that his engagement with Alexis ended.

West had a few controversial moments during his relationship with Amber

During their time together, Kanye and Amber ensured that they were the center of attention. This included doing a campaign for Louis Vuitton where the rapper sat on a sofa while his girlfriend lay with her head on his lap without any clothes on. The pair were also together at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, a ceremony that West ensured no one would ever forget.

After all, this is when he stormed the stage during the award for Best Female Video to tell Taylor Swift and the world that Beyoncé deserved the win over her. If Rose was embarrassed by her boyfriend’s actions, it didn’t push her to end things. They stayed together through the end of the year, not breaking up until almost a year later.

Rose has been openly critical of Kanye since the breakup and claims he’s been bullying her

Lasting for two years, this relationship with Amber was definitely one of Kanye’s most notable romances. Unfortunately, it’s not always remembered for the right reason these days. Rose has been pretty vocal about their love in the years since, and she hasn’t always had the nicest things to say.

During an appearance on the No Jumper podcast in October 2020, Amber claimed that she “didn’t get anything” from being with the rapper. She asserted that the two of them are very different, with Rose then stating that the man had “bullied her for ten years.” This included him telling the model in 2015 that she needed to take 30 showers. Anyone hoping for a potential reunion between the pair will probably be waiting a very long time.

Kanye was rumored to be dating the likes of Selita Ebanks and Angela Martini

After splitting from Amber in 2010, Kanye’s next notable relationship didn’t come around until 2012. During those two years, there was never any concrete evidence over what was going on in the rapper’s love life. However, there were more than a few rumblings about potential flings with some notable names. Selita Ebanks was one of them.

She featured in his music video for ‘Runaway,’ prompting the same speculation that followed Sessilee. However, according to Ebanks, nothing other than friendship ever blossomed between the two of them. Angela Martini was another rumored lover, with claims that things ended after she became obsessed with the rapper. However, she refutes this, stating that she was actually the one who was dealing with a stalker.

Other women he allegedly dated were Melody Thornton, Kate Upton, and Chanel Iman

Ebanks and Martini are just a couple of the names associated with Kanye during that period between significant girlfriends. Other people he was linked to include Melody Thornton and Kate Upton, with the latter on her rise to fame when they reportedly met. Upton supposedly flirted with West at a party and allegedly left the event holding hands with the rapper.

However, nothing ever came from this. As for Melody, it’s not clear exactly what was going on between them. The pair apparently attended several public events together, though, prompting rumors that they were an item. If they were, though, the love fizzled out very quickly. The same goes for Chanel Iman, who was briefly rumored to be dating the rapper but claims they were always just friends.

Kim and Kanye started dating years after first meeting and becoming friends

After several years of rumored girlfriends, Kanye’s fans finally had confirmation of a relationship when Kim Kardashian came along. The two had apparently been in each others’ lives for years, ever since being introduced in 2003. They met when West was recording a song with Brandy, who Kim was reportedly an assistant for at the time.

There was an instant connection between the pair, at least from Kanye’s perspective. Of course, the man didn’t even know her name, referring to her as “Kim Kardajan.” Unfortunately for him, the reality star was married at the time, so nothing could happen between the two of them. However, West seemingly never gave up hope that things would change one day and the two of them could be together.

West allegedly tried to convince Kardashian not to marry Kris Humphries

Kanye had to be very patient in his quest for Kim, given it was almost a decade after meeting her before they finally became an item. He had to sit through Kardashian’s divorce to Damon Thomas and then deal with her tying the knot again in 2011. This time, she walked down the aisle to Kris Humphries, a man West reportedly made it clear wasn’t suitable for the reality star.

He allegedly sent Kim photos of basketball stars who hadn’t aged well, trying to suggest to her that Humphries would go the same way. Unfortunately for Kanye, his efforts were in vain. Kardashian went through with tying the knot on August 20, although it was only 72 days later that she filed for divorce.

Kanye threw out a lot of Kim’s clothes shortly after they got together

With Kris out of the picture, it didn’t take long for Kanye to swoop in and finally win over the woman he’d allegedly wanted for years. They made their first public appearance in April 2012, and from there, something special blossomed. The two seemingly went all-in on the relationship, something that caused a bit of controversy from time to time.

One of the most noteworthy scandals came during an episode of the reality show ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ in August 2012. In it, West went through Kim’s closet with a stylist and threw out a lot of her belongings. He replaced these with what he thought his girlfriend should wear, a move that some fans considered to be a red flag for controlling behavior.

The couple welcomed their first child together a year after falling in love

Although Kardashian admitted to crying after her boyfriend got rid of some of her favorite things, she didn’t leave him. In fact, she was apparently grateful for the style upgrade. She was so thankful that their relationship seemingly went from strength to strength, and by the end of the year, they had some exciting news to share.

The couple was expecting a baby, a first for the both of them. Kanye announced it during a New Year’s Eve performance, with Kim later saying in a blog post that they felt “so blessed and lucky.” Their daughter, North West, eventually arrived in June 2013 amidst a growing media obsession with the couple. Their love was big news, and it did great things for their careers.

A woman claimed to have been intimate with Kanye since he got together with Kim

Unfortunately, as great as the relationship seemed to be, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Not long before North West arrived, Kanye faced allegations that he’d been unfaithful to his girlfriend. Leyla Ghobadi claimed that she’d been intimate with the rapper twice, with the most recent incident happening since Kim had fallen pregnant. It was a significant accusation to make and was one that West didn’t take lying down.

He vehemently denied going behind his partner’s back, with his representative telling TMZ that the allegations were “totally without merit.” They slammed Ghobadi as a “misguided individual” who was doing nothing more than trying to seek publicity. Thankfully, her claims didn’t impact the relationship because Kim stayed by Kanye’s side throughout the drama and beyond.

Kanye popped the question to Kim after renting out an entire baseball stadium

Now that they’d already started growing their family, Kanye was determined to take the next big step with Kim. He wanted her to be by his side forever, which is why he popped the question in October 2013. In true Kanye West fashion, it was an extravagant proposal, with the rapper renting out the entirety of San Francisco’s AT&T baseball stadium to ask for Kardashian’s hand in marriage.

It probably would have been quite an embarrassing moment if she said no. However, Kim had no intention of turning her boyfriend down. She told Kanye yes, and after she did so, her family stormed the field to congratulate the pair. Everyone was excited for the couple to tie the knot, unaware of what the future held for these two.

They kept going viral and ensuring that they were the couple everyone kept talking about

By the end of 2013, it was clear that Kim and Kanye weren’t going anywhere. In fact, they were only growing bigger by the day. A month after getting engaged, West released a video for the song ‘Bound 2’ that featured him riding a motorcycle and Kim on top of him without her clothes on.

The scene went viral, prompting questions over whether any couple in the world was as famous as the two of them at that moment. This only continued into 2014 when the pair posed for the cover of Vogue, becoming the first biracial couple ever to do so. Kim and Kanye couldn’t be a bigger talking point if they tried, but there was no promise that things would stay this way forever.

The couple’s wedding caused some drama when Jay-Z and Beyoncé didn’t attend

Come May 2014, it was finally time for the couple to become husband and wife. Kim was no stranger to walking down the aisle at this point, having already done it twice before. She was hopeful that this would be the last time she ever had to do it, though. As for Kanye, marital bliss wasn’t something he’d ever experienced before.

Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly get off to the best start when some notable guests were missing from the ceremony. Jay-Z and Beyoncé were two of West’s closest friends at the time, but they were nowhere to be seen at the wedding. Fans speculated it was because they disapproved of Kim, but Jay-Z later implied in the song ‘Friends’ it was because he and Beyoncé were having marital issues.

Tabloids claimed that the pair hit a rough patch in 2016, which Kim denied

After the couple failed to show up for Kim and Kanye’s wedding, relations between the four of them started to sour. While friendships might have been on the rocks, though, Kardashian and West appeared to be stronger than ever. They seemingly made it through the rest of 2014 and the following year without a hitch. It was only once 2016 came around that things hit a rough patch.

At least, that’s what the tabloids claimed. Kim was adamant that things between her and Kanye were fine, releasing a video on her app to clear up any misconceptions people might have had. She later told Us Weekly that out of all her relationships, this was the calmest one she’d ever been in. There were supposedly no issues to report.

Kim supported her husband after Taylor Swift reignited their feud

The couples that cause drama together stay together, right? When things got heated again between Kanye and Taylor Swift in 2016, Kim had no intention of letting her husband fight this battle alone. Things got messy following the release of West’s song ‘Famous,’ where he suggested that Swift was only a big deal because of the 2009 VMAs.

The singer was reportedly offended by this and called Kanye out for not letting her know about the lyrics in advance. This prompted Kim to release a video showing a phone call between the pair where Taylor seemingly agreed to West mentioning her in the track. If people thought their marriage was on the rocks, their teaming up proved that the two of them weren’t going anywhere.

2016 ended dramatically when Kim was robbed, and Kanye suffered from exhaustion

The next few months weren’t short of drama for the couple. In October 2016, Kim was traumatized after she was reportedly held at gunpoint and robbed while staying in Paris. The incident had a significant impact on her mental health, leading her to take a break from social media and spend some time out of the public eye.

Thankfully, she had her husband’s full support, with Kanye ending a concert early after he discovered what had happened. Several months later, she was the one to be there for him when he was reportedly hospitalized with exhaustion. Luckily, despite all the drama, the couple had things to smile about. By this point, they’d already welcomed a second child, with a third arriving in January 2018.

A recent track from Kanye suggests that he might have cheated on Kim at some point

Having the kids should have strengthened Kim and Kanye’s marriage. However, if one of West’s more recent songs is anything to go by, that wasn’t the case. His track ‘Hurricane’ seems to offer some concerning insight into his marriage, most notably the implication that he cheated on Kim between having their second and third baby.

Although the rapper had been accused of infidelity already, Leyla’s claims came before the two had officially become parents. So, when Kanye raps about “still playin’ after two kids,” it seems to be about another incident altogether. This would potentially line up with when the tabloids accused the couple of hitting a rough patch. So, maybe Kardashian was simply trying to save face when she denied there was anything wrong.

West feared that Kim would leave him after he referred to slavery as a “choice”

‘Hurricane’ only debuted in 2021, so the infidelity it’s possibly referring to wasn’t known to the public when it happened. Of course, fans didn’t need to hear about cheating claims to worry about the couple’s relationship. Other issues were seemingly driving the pair apart, including some concerning remarks that West made about slavery.

In May 2018, he referred to it as a “choice” on ‘TMZ Live.’ His words attracted immense criticism, with West later worrying that his wife would leave him. Although Kanye rapped on the song ‘Wouldn’t Leave’ that Kim was going nowhere, that apparently wasn’t what he truly believed. However, the couple weathered the storm of his remarks, going on to have a fourth child and renew their wedding vows the following year.

Kim Kardashian was reportedly furious after her husband spoke about private matters

When Kanye announced his intentions to enter the presidential race, it received a mixed response. Some supported his decision, while others questioned whether he knew enough about politics to be a worthwhile leader. Kim was seemingly in the former group, although it was clear that she couldn’t get behind everything West was campaigning for.

The rapper really struck a nerve with his wife after opening up about his initial disinterest in having North West at a rally. He apparently wanted Kardashian to get rid of the baby, to which she’d refused. Kanye used this story as a means to explain his pro-life stance, and Kim wasn’t happy at all. She was allegedly furious that he spoke about something so private as a means of progressing with his political campaign.

The relationship fell apart after the rally, resulting in Kim filing for divorce in February 2021

After the rally, things went from bad to worse when Kanye seemed to attack Kim’s family on social media. His outburst prompted Kardashian to talk about her husband’s mental health, reminding people that he has bipolar disorder and sharing how recent events had affected him. Her compassion seemed to suggest that the two were still united after everything.

However, it seems that Kim was simply trying to be nice. Their love had run its course, and within a matter of months, the marriage would be over. They reportedly didn’t see much of each other at the end of 2020, with E! News claiming they were “doing their own thing.” Confirmation of the end ultimately came in February 2021 when TMZ reported that Kim had filed for divorce.

Rumors emerged in January 2021 of Kanye West being intimate with Jeffree Star

His wife filing for divorce wasn’t the only thing that Kanye had to deal with in early 2021. At the very start of the year, rumors started spreading around social media that West had been intimate with controversial makeup artist Jeffree Star. Given the rapper’s luck with the ladies, the prospect that he might be into guys isn’t something that many people have ever seriously considered.

However, the rumor spread so quickly that more than a few of West’s fans began to wonder if it was true. Star didn’t help the situation by messaging the rapper on social media that “last night was so fun” and then deleting it. As it turns out, though, the whole thing was a lie formulated by another controversial social media star, Ava Louise.

West reportedly dated Irina Shayk for a few months before calling it quits

Kanye had allegedly spent the best part of a decade pining for Kim, then the same amount of time in a relationship with the women. With Kardashian filing for divorce, the rapper didn’t seem to know what to do with himself, and he understandably didn’t want to let the marriage go.

However, things had seemingly been falling apart for a while now, so any desire that Kim might have had to fix their relationship was gone. West had no choice but to try and move on, something that he briefly appeared to do with Irina Shayk. Us Weekly announced their romance in June 2021, with a source claiming they’d been quietly seeing each other for several months. However, what they shared was over by the end of August.

Kanye refused to accept the divorce and continually pleaded for Kim to take him back

Irina might have offered Kanye a nice distraction from the breakdown of his marriage, but West still wasn’t over his wife. He was seemingly desperate to reunite with Kim, and he made no effort to hide this desire. The rapper appeared to spend much of November 2021 begging Kardashian to reconsider their relationship.

During a performance of ‘Runaway’ at the Free Larry Hoover concert, Kanye rapped: “I need you to run right back to me, baby… more specifically Kimberly.” This move to win back his wife followed several listening parties for his album ‘Donda,’ where he made subtle nods to the reality star. Unfortunately, no amount of pleading was going to win Kim over. He might not have moved on, but she certainly had.

West isn’t impressed by Kim’s romance with Pete Davidson

There seems to be little chance of Kardashian taking her husband back now, given she seems to be loved up with Pete Davidson. The ‘Saturday Night Live’ star has seemingly had no trouble attracting famous girlfriends ever since he was engaged to Ariana Grande.

Still, his romance with Kim came as something of a surprise, particularly for West. He told Entertainment Tonight that he wasn’t impressed with the loved-up display that the pair showed when his wife hosted ‘SNL.’ He claimed that she was “playing games” and intentionally trying to hurt him. However, many assume that the romance didn’t even begin until after Kardashian appeared on the variety show. Nevertheless, he isn’t Pete’s biggest fan, even claiming in one song that he wants to beat him up.

Kanye claimed he was being denied access to his kids, which Kim denied

Kanye might have beef with the ‘SNL’ star, but the feeling certainly isn’t mutual. Davidson has no intention of falling out with West, aware that whatever drama he has is between him and his wife. Unfortunately, there seems to be plenty of that drama at the moment. Towards the end of 2021, there was more controversy after West alleged that Kim was stopping him from seeing his kids.

He expressed fury at reportedly being denied entry to his wife’s house, even though “My daughter wanted me to go inside.” TMZ later shared that Kardashian wasn’t denying her husband access to the children; she just wanted some advanced warning. That way, she doesn’t feel like her privacy is being invaded by the man she’s no longer with.

He was seen at a basketball game with Vinetria, suggesting they were on a date

It’s unclear if Pete Davidson coming into the picture has persuaded Kanye that it’s time to let go of his marriage. However, since Kim hosted ‘SNL,’ the rapper’s love life appears to be back in full swing. In November, West was seen with model Vinetria at a basketball game in Minneapolis. Neither commented on their appearance together, so it’s unclear if there was anything romantic going on between them or not.

However, if they were dating, it was nothing more than a fling. Perhaps Kanye still wasn’t entirely ready to be with someone else, believing that a new relationship was a betrayal to Kim, or maybe there never was anything here, and the tabloids simply mistook the pair’s friendly appearance together as a date?

West made Julia Fox at the end of 2021 and allegedly had an “instant connection” with her

While the basketball game may or may not have been a date, there’s no denying that Kanye has certainly been wining and dining someone recently. At the very end of 2021, the rapper crossed paths with Julia Fox, and according to Interview Magazine, there was “an instant connection.” Julia says that he had her “laughing, dancing, and smiling all night,” which is why they wasted no time arranging their first date.

Reports claimed that there was “nothing serious” about their relationship, which was an understandable assumption to make, given they’d only just met. However, if there was as much of a connection between the two of them as Fox claimed, it was quite possible that things would soon become more serious.

They saw a play together, then had an impromptu photoshoot during dinner

If Kanye and Julia weren’t serious, then the rapper must go all out for every date that he goes on. According to Fox’s article in Interview Magazine, the rapper made quite the impression on her when they enjoyed a date together in early January 2022. The two went to ‘Slave Play’ together in New York City, with Julie seemingly impressed that her plus one showed up on time.

Following that, they enjoyed dinner at Carbone, one of her favorite restaurants, where West couldn’t resist making his date the center of attention. He apparently organized an impromptu photoshoot in the restaurant, something that the other diners didn’t have an issue with. In fact, they allegedly cheered the pair on while the rapper snapped shot after shot of his partner.

Kanye surprised his date with a suite full of clothes in a move akin to what he did with Kim

Fox’s evening with West was apparently a magical night for the actress. However, it didn’t end with the photoshoot at dinner. Once they left the restaurant, Kanye took his date back to his hotel room, where he surprised her with a suite full of clothes. Julia was reportedly shocked by this, citing it as a “real-life Cinderella moment.”

She had no idea how he arranged it or why he was willing to go all out when it was only their second date. However, she wasn’t going to complain. Fox allowed West to help her pick out some new clothes in a move that was not unlike what the rapper did when he and Kim began dating. So, was this history repeating itself?

Julia has been a fan of the Kardashians for a long time

Given that Kanye had done something like this before, did that mean that he was finally ready to move on from Kim? Perhaps changing his partner’s wardrobe is how he likes to start every serious relationship these days? If so, we should expect Julia to be a part of West’s life for quite a while yet.

Of course, it’s still early days, so there’s also every possibility that things will fizzle out in a matter of months. If it doesn’t, though, then Julia can consider this a dream come true. After all, she’s been a huge fan of the Kardashians for a long time. If she becomes a serious girlfriend, she’ll inevitably get to see Kim relatively often, given that she’s the mother of Kanye’s kids.

Kanye claimed that Kim was stopping him from celebrating his daughter’s birthday

For many, a new year signals an opportunity to start fresh. Unfortunately for Kim and Kanye, that hasn’t been the case. The drama that plagued their relationship at the end of 2021 still seems to be prominent today. In mid-January, West came out with more accusations against his wife, this time claiming that she was preventing him from attending his daughter’s birthday party.

The Kardashian clan threw a big party to celebrate Chicago turning four. However, Kanye took to social media to allege that no one would tell him where it was. He eventually found his way there, with Kim later revealing that it was his idea for them to throw two separate parties. Apparently, Kanye didn’t stick to his end of the deal.