In the latest episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians, the eldest of the sisters, Kourtney, and her daughter Penelope, opened up about their complicated feelings about Khloe’s ex, Tristan Thompson.
This season, the Kardashian ladies have each been giving their opinions about Thompson’s presence in the family. While Kim Kardashian approves of him still being around saying the Thompson has stepped up to help her raise her children (which is its own distasteful situation), Kourtney says that she feels “triggered” whenever he’s around. In the newest episode, Kourtney called Penelope into one of the rooms in her and Travis Barker’s home to get ready to leave. She told Penelope that her aunt would be picking her up along with Thompson asking, “Is that okay?” to which she responded, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Kourtney went on in her confessional recounting a conversation that she believes convinced Penelope, 11, to be wary of him:
“I told her the first day of school, I was so triggered by him ... I know why, but I feel like we all brush it off and are fine, and then I was just so triggered and I was like, ‘I just can’t do it anymore.’”
Although informing her daughter of her triggers could be considered controversial, not giving her young daughter the space to form her own opinions, the essence of Kourtney’s uneasiness is valid. Kourtney likely feels triggered by Thompson because of the nature of her past relationship with baby daddy Scott Disick, who could never quite be the dedicated and loving partner that Kourtney wanted him to be.
Now that Kourtney is happily married to Travis Barker and expecting their first child together, she sees that her sister is being forced to settle with having Thompson around saying on camera:
“Tristan has made horrible decisions and choices with my sister. There’s times when I am so triggered by him that I cannot be around him. Then there’s times where I just let it go because we just want harmony. He’s the father of my niece and nephew.”
While Thompson is spending the season on an apology tour and trying to get back in the good graces of the Kardashians, Kim has taken the bait along with Kris Jenner, who has gone as far as trying to get Thompson career opportunities. How do you allow the man who cheated on your daughter multiple times to get the upper hand?