It was a bit of a surprise when Kanye West was seen out and about with a new woman close to his birthday in June. Only a few months prior, marital issues with Kim Kardashian pushed the reality TV star to file for divorce from the rapper. West was then perceived as wasting no time moving on from the debacle by dating again so soon. Reportedly, though, West and his supposed new girlfriend have already split up.
Kanye West had allegedly been dating model Irina Shayk, ex-girlfriend to actor Bradley Cooper, for months prior to the spotting of them in Paris. According to a source for Us Weekly, though, Shayk discovered they weren't “great romantic partners.” They revealed:
Kanye and Irina are over, but they never really started, there’s nothing going on there.
It's a paradoxical choice of words, considering something being over implies something being there to begin with. They neither confirmed nor denied the speculation at the time, but maybe Kanye West and Irina Shayk were actually good friends only believed to be dating. (Shayk had previously been featured in West’s 2010 “Power” music video and several of his fashion shows.) Or maybe the romance really did just fizzle out.
Nevertheless, early reports indicated that Kanye West and Irina Shayk had a serious connection. Even Kim Kardashian allegedly approved of West’s new girlfriend, so long as it didn't interfere with them raising their four kids. I guess it won't matter much to her now, if the split is legit.
The end of Kanye West's new relationship coincides neatly with his old relationship with Kim Kardashian improving as of late. They were spotted having lunch together, just the two of them, this past week. Prior to that, Kardashian had been enthusiastically supporting West at his various Donda album listening parties (with a third one on its way to Chicago). The formerly married couple even color coordinated and wore matching ski masks to the events. The kids were also in attendance, lending credence to reports that the two are making strides in co-parenting amidst the divorce.
Some of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's issues were documented on the Keeping Up with the Kardashians' final season. At the reunion show, Kardashian chalked up the eventual divorce to the two of them having a difference of opinions. West’s quick leap into a new relationship and girlfriend only seemed to confirm that they were on totally different pages. Kardashian herself has evaded speculation about her dating life, preferring instead to lean into her new normal with family and friends.
Who knows, though, maybe Kanye West's recent split has something to do with his meet ups with Kim Kardashian going so well these days. Based on all accounts, the divorce is still going ahead, but there’s nothing quite like some heartfelt lyrics to change someone’s mind, if that is their aim…
