It's official: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are getting a divorce. And while we don't have the full picture of what went wrong for the power couple (though this season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians is slowly revealing the story behind their breakup, episode by episode), KimYe are already on the fast track to being legally separated. The next steps? Reaching a custody agreement and having discussions about how to divide their assets.
Rumors about a potential split have plagued the A-list spouses for years, but things got real when Kim filed for divorce in early February. Since then, she and her family have been uncharacteristically low-key about the legal proceedings to follow, keeping quiet about the breakup save for teasing how it might play out on the final season of KUWTK.
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However, a recent filing by Kanye's legal counsel has brought more context to the situation. On Friday, April 9, Kanye submitted a response to the divorce papers Kim filed in February. In that response, the rapper cited "irreconcilable differences" as the grounds for the divorce — possibly related to his own past irreconcilable behavior. Kanye requested that he and Kim be able to have share legal and physical custody of their four young children North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. He also asked that the court totally ignore its right to award spousal support for either party.
Coming to a sensible and fair custody agreement may actually be the easiest part of this divorce; what might prove more difficult is the (re)allocation of the couple's joint and individual assets. Both Kim and Kanye are billionaires now, and much of their wealth was accumulated during their almost seven years of marriage. Figuring out who gets what (including their $40 million Calabasas home) in the divorce could make what sources call an "amicable" separation turn ugly. In the past, Kanye has been vocal about his desire to maintain ownership over what belongs to him, so any conversation about splitting his coins with him could potentially sour the mutual breakup.
As the divorce filings move forward, Kanye has stayed off the internet while Kim continues to be perpetually online, sharing cute photos of her family and hinting at what her life might look like as a single mother of four. We won't be able to see what that new life looks like on KUWTK — perhaps the SKIMS founder will give us a hint on whatever she's cooking up for Hulu — but the E! show will at least explain how she and Kanye got to where they are today.