Kim Kardashian: 'I was really single for five years' before Lewis Hamilton

Kim Kardashian says staying single for five years was a deliberate choice — and only now has she felt ready to let someone in again. Four months after hard-launching her romance with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, the SKIMS founder opened up to The Times in an interview published Oct. 3.

"I was really single for five years," she said. "That felt great. I could focus on my kids and projects that I really wanted to be involved with. I really felt no rush."

Kardashian said she didn't "feel empty" after her 2021 split from Kanye "Ye" West, with whom she shares North, 13, Saint, 10, Chicago, 8, and Psalm, 7. The couple finalized their divorce in 2022.

"I felt like I needed my time," she explained. "I wanted to completely heal and just work on myself. I wasn't ready to open up. I really wasn't even thinking about it. The universe works in your favor when you just allow it to."

Keeping this one private

Kardashian has let fans see the relationship — romantic getaways in Paris, bike rides in New York City and family beach trips — but she has stayed quiet about the bond itself.

"In the most respectful way, I'd probably rather not," she said when asked.

Pete Davidson, who dated Kardashian for nine months after her divorce, already understands the need for privacy. In a September interview with Variety, he described the online attacks he faced from West at the time.

"What tripped me out is I was super open about mental stuff — everyone knows this about me — and it's like he was [saying], 'Kill yourself,'" Davidson said. "And he did push me."

He also joked that he did Kardashian a favor as her first relationship after the split: "I cleared the path for her to get back into the dating pool." As for where the exes stand now, Davidson offered a simple answer: "We're cool. I have a lot of love for her, and I knew what I was getting into."