On Monday night, people across the country tuned into the first presidential debate. But as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump battled it out on TV, the Kardashian-Jenner family was dealing with some serious tension of its own. Seemingly throwing his little sister under the bus, Rob Kardashian leaked Kylie Jenner's phone number to his over 6 million Twitter followers. (Yes, her actual number, according to E! News.) He then wrote an angry tweet about his family not inviting Blac Chyna to the baby shower they threw for him. The next day, this turned into reports that Kardashian and Chyna broke up and that his weight had skyrocketed in the "months" since their split. But before you jump on the bandwagon and assume the worst, Kardashian should be cut some slack. These rumors don't automatically mean his life is spiraling out of control, and even if it was, that's a terrible reason to attack him.
Back in 2007, Chris Crocker turned into an internet star for his teary-eyed YouTube plea to "leave Britney alone." This was around the time of Britney Spears' public meltdown and he just wanted people to stop bashing her. I never thought I'd say this, but I feel that exact same way about the current Kardashian situation. It's disappointing to see how quickly someone's life can become a public spectacle. Following the rumors of his breakup from Chyna, TMZ reported:
Rob Kardashian has given up on life again, retreating to the confines of his home and gaining all his weight back ... so claim members of his family who are worried his life is now in danger.
That sounds so extreme, right? And that's not the only site featuring rumors about Kardashian's well-being. A recent headline on The Hollywood Gossip reads "Rob Kardashian: Fat, In Serious Trouble Once Again." Even if you scroll through the replies to Kardashian's tweet about the baby shower drama, comments include, "you're desperate for attention," "no one likes you," and "take your insulin." There are several responses, too, where people simply call him "fat" — sometimes written in all caps for extra emphasis.
While cyberbullying is nothing new and Kardashian is a grown adult, the way he's being treated is still unacceptable. Let's not forget he's the same guy who stayed out of the spotlight for a solid two years, because he was so unhappy with himself. In an August interview with People, he explained why he missed Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's wedding back in 2014. He told the magazine,
"I just wasn't comfortable. I'm 6'1" and at my most I probably weighed 300 lbs. There were cameras at the airport on our trip there and I was very unhappy with the person I saw in all the pictures."
Why push someone down, who's already had to build himself back up from such a low point? And if Kardashian is "slipping back into a dark place," as TMZ reported, depression is a serious mental illness and shouldn't be taken lightly. That's the kind of situation that should be treated with privacy and well wishes.
Interestingly enough, prior to these recent updates, it appeared as though Kardashian was in a much more positive place — health-wise and relationship-wise. He even responded to a tweet on Sept. 26 (just two days before leaking Jenner's number) from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Foster:
Her hashtag #InvisibleIllness could be referencing his battle with diabetes, or it could also allude to his previously mentioned mental health struggles with anxiety and depression. Because he responded so warmly, I'm skeptical that everything could flip so quickly, which makes me even more cautious to believe the negative rumors.
As for the speculation that Kardashian and Chyna split, I wouldn't be so fast to believe those either. Bustle has reached out to reps for the couple, but has not heard back at this time. But on Wednesday night, Kardashian posted Snapchats of Chyna's pregnant belly, implying they are indeed still together:
Plus, this isn't the first time their relationship has been called into question. In March, word spread that the parents-to-be broke up and they cleared the air on Instagram soon after. At the time, Kardashian wrote,
Chy and I are not broken up we just feel like it would be a lot healthier for our relationship if we kept a lot more to ourselves. It's impossible to have a positive relationship with so much negativity from the media and outsiders and we would appreciate it if everyone respects that -ChyRo.
It's entirely possible that they're just taking some time apart right now, but that doesn't mean Kardashian's life is falling apart. TMZ's recent report said Chyna and Kardashian broke up "months ago." Yet in mid-August, the couple appeared lovey-dovey in a Facebook live chat about the premiere of Rob & Chyna . They knew one another so well, and he's continued tweeting about their relationship as the new episodes have aired.
Sure, Kardashian tweeting a gif and gushing over his fiancée doesn't necessarily tell the full story, but neither do his tweets about the baby shower. If his family really did exclude the mother of his child, that's not necessarily fair. The details are up for debate, but maybe he genuinely was trying to defend the woman he loves. (Although it's still not OK he leaked Jenner's number; that was definitely a low blow.)
While I don't have all the answers about Kardashian's personal life, it's not fair to jump to conclusions — especially ones that come across as judgmental or insulting. I'm rooting for him to have a happy marriage to Chyna, be a great father, and prove people wrong. To borrow Crocker's wording, I just want everybody to "leave Rob Kardashian aloooone."
