Kim Kardashian says her divorce gave her the space to grow out of her insecurities and move forward after years of being influenced by her ex-husband, Kanye West.
The 44-year-old reality star revealed that she gained new confidence following the split, marking a major turning point in her life. Kardashian recalled that her mother, Kris Jenner, had encouraged her to see her 40s as an empowering decade.
“When I turned 40, my mom told me that the coming years would be the best of my life,” Kardashian said in an interview with Vogue. Just a year later, she filed for divorce from West, an event that sparked what she now sees as a personal transformation.
“Only over the past three or four years have I gained this confidence,” she said. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star admitted that for years she relied heavily on the opinions of others.
“Before, I constantly needed to check with someone before making a decision. Can you imagine? It’s crazy to rely so much on others’ opinions,” she said. Now, Kardashian described her approach as completely different. “Today, I know exactly what I want. It’s exhilarating,” she added.
While she did not explicitly mention West, Kardashian has hinted before at the negative effects of their relationship. During a 2018 panel discussion, Kardashian recalled how her husband at the time criticized her sense of fashion.
“I always thought I had really good style — until I met my husband and he told me that I had the worst style,” she said. Earlier, on the family’s reality series in 2012, she explained how West influenced her wardrobe. “Our whole trade-off was that if I got rid of my clothes, he’d fill up my closet,” she revealed.
These comments, along with her latest reflections, suggest that West’s control extended beyond their marriage into her personal choices and self-image.
For Kardashian, the years since the divorce have become a time of independence and self-assurance. With her successful ventures like SKIMS and ongoing projects in media and business, she has embraced a new chapter on her own terms.
The reality star framed her journey as a hard-won process of reclaiming her voice and confidence. What began with doubt has evolved into a clearer sense of purpose and direction, one she says feels both liberating and energizing.