Julia Fox to Kim Kardashian: What Kanye’s exes have said he’s like as a boyfriend

‘There were definitely some red flags’

3 months ago

Kanye West has been accused of having a humiliation kink after posting so-called “dehumanising” semi-nude photos of his wife Bianca Censori to Instagram in recent weeks. When asked about ill-treatment allegations, he snatched a phone out of a journalists hands and swore at her for asking about his relationship. So, other than quotes from inside sources about him allegedly banning Bianca from social media, nobody is any the wiser about the ins and out of their relationship or if she’s actually okay.

But what do you do when you want the low down on a man you’re dating? (Or, in this case, watching date via the Twitter timeline.) You ask his exes what being with him is really like. So, in the name of investigative journalism, here’s everything Kanye’s ex-girlfriends have said about what he’s actually like as a boyfriend:

Julia Fox – ‘I can’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling’

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Julia Fox has been very open about the early days of dating Kanye West and admitted there were “definitely some red flags” early doors:

“I think at the time there were definitely some red flags that I chose to turn a blind eye to because it was fun, and exciting, and shiny, and you know just new,” she said on BBC Women’s Hour.

“It felt like a relief in the beginning ‘oh finally someone else can take the reins’, but I think you know it became unsustainable and that’s why the relationship only lasted a month.”

In her book, Down the Drain, Julia called Kanye’s behaviour “controlling” said she felt like a “show monkey” and detailed how she couldn’t be seen out with Kanye unless he’d personally approved her outfit choice.

“His words stick to me like a piece of lint on my clothes. I can’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling,” she wrote.

Kim Kardashian – ‘He’s cause me emotional distress’

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Kanye also wanted control over Kim Kardashian’s wardrobe and, while they were together, went through her closet and threw away anything he didn’t like. After their divorce, Kim revealed she was “struggling” to get dressed without Kanye there.

Kim sometimes made style decisions which angered Kanye during their relationship, however. At the 2019 Met Gala when she wore a sheer wet-look dress, Kim revealed the design originally had water droplets over her nipples but this was a step too far for Kanye, who was already riled up over the outfit: “The corset, it’s a form of underwear – it’s hot but hot for who?” he asked.

After their split, Kim and Kanye had many dramas. And in 2022, Kim filed a document in their divorce proceedings claiming Kanye was causing her “emotional distress” after he kept harassing her and her then boyfriend Pete Davidson.

“I have asked Kanye to keep our divorce private, but he has not done so,” she said in February 2022. “Kanye has been putting a lot of misinformation regarding our private family matters and co-parenting on social media which has created emotional distress.

“I believe that the court terminating our marital status will help Kanye to accept that our marital relationship is over and to move forward on a better path which will assist us in peacefully co-parenting our children.”

Amber Rose – ‘He has bullied me for 10 years’

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Amber Rose, who dated Kanye for two years, claimed on the No Jumper podcast Kanye had ben “bullying” her “for years” after he made multiple nasty comments about her to the press. Kanye had claimed he needed “30 showers” after having sex with Amber, which musts have kept him pretty busy from 2008 to 2010.

Responding to the ridiculous comments, Amber said: “I don’t know if he says things to make his wife [Kim] more comfortable, but to slut-shame me and say you needed 30 showers, like, bro, you took me around the world. Since when do you need 30 showers?

“I didn’t soak up anything from him. Me and him are two very different people,” Rose said. “I’m a compassionate person. I have empathy. I’m a good person. That’s why people love me. That’s why anybody I’ve ever dated always loved me.

“He has picked on me for 10 years. He has bullied me for 10 years,” she said.

Alexis Phifer – ‘I wish him the best’

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The only one of Kanye’s ex-girlfriends who appears to have an overarchingly positive view of him still is Alexis Phifer – who he was engaged to in 2006 after dating for six years. They called off their engagement 18 months later but she still said she wished him “the best” and that he was the “most talented” person she knew.

“It’s always sad when things like this end,” she said. “We remain friends.”