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Home / Entertainment

Kim Kardashian makes surprise appearance at Kanye West's album launch

By Bella Fowler
news.com.au·
23 Jul, 2021 08:40 AM3 mins to read

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Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend The 2019 Met Gala. Photo / Getty Images

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend The 2019 Met Gala. Photo / Getty Images

Kim Kardashian has thrown her support behind her ex-husband's latest creative endeavour.

Months after filing for divorce from Kanye West, and as rumours of his new romance with Irina Shayk swirl, Kardashian touched town in Atlanta for his album launch and listening party.

Kanye held the sold-out soiree at Mercedes Benz Stadium for his tenth album, Donda, named after his late mother.

The album features snippets from his mother, who died in 2007 at the age of 58, as well as "deep, sad" reflections on his marriage to Kim.

Sources at a different listening party earlier this week say Kanye broke down in tears after playing a song about his divorce from the reality TV megastar.

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Kanye West debuted Donda in Atlanta. Photo / Supplied
Kanye West debuted Donda in Atlanta. Photo / Supplied

"He talks about the kids and mentions her taking everything. After he played this song he paused for like, two minutes, and cried. It was really sombre," a person at the launch said.

The track, called Welcome to my Life, includes lyrics about his tough past two years, which included his split from the billionaire makeup mogul, a meltdown on Twitter and his failed bid for the United States presidency.

Kim Kardashian. Photo / Getty Images
Kim Kardashian. Photo / Getty Images

In the song, he likens his and Kim's marital home in Calabasas, Los Angeles, to jail. Kanye, 44, raps: "Tell the assassins I escaped from Calabasas."

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Kim, dressed in a red jumpsuit, and with the couple's four children in tow, fronted up to listen for herself along with sister Khloe Kardashian.

Both sisters posted from the event on Instagram, with footage showing Kanye also dressed head-to-toe in red.

According to E! News, Kanye took to the arena to debut the record after a two-hour delay.

The publication also quoted a Kardashian insider who said Kanye spoke to Kim about including the track about their marriage on the album.

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"He was respectful and gave her the heads up," the source said, noting that the rapper "did not want to blindside" the mother of his children.

Donda is his first record since Kim, 40, filed for divorce in February, citing irreconcilable differences.

The couple married in Florence, Italy, in 2014 and share custody of their daughters North, 8, Chicago, 3, and sons Saint, 3, and Psalm, 2.

In July 2020, Kanye announced on Twitter he was running for that year's US presidential election.

Days later, during his first rally, he broke down in tears saying he and Kim almost aborted their daughter North while pregnant.

Their marriage unravelled in the months afterwards, with Kim revealing on the season finale of Keeping Up With the Kardashians (KUWTK) in June how she realised they weren't meant to be together.

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"I've never, ever thought I was lonely … I thought I could just have my kids, and my husband moves from state to state, and I'm on this ride with him and I was okay with that," Kim said.

"But after turning 40 this year I realised, no, I don't want a husband that lives in a completely different state.

"I thought that was when we were getting along best. But then that is sad to me. And that's not what I want."

Last month, it was reported Kanye has since struck up a romance with model Irina Shayk, who shares a daughter with her ex, Bradley Cooper.

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