Owning up? Tristan Thompson shared a cryptic message about taking responsibility as he awaits the arrival of his second child with off-on girlfriend Khloé Kardashian.
The Canadian athlete, 31, posted a black-and-white graphic via his Instagram Story on Sunday, July 24. “1. Nothing is promised to you. 2. No one owes you anything. 3. You have all the responsibility in your life,” the quote read. “Understand these three rules as early as possible and realize that independence is the way forward.”
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum, 38, uploaded an equally telling message about feeling “thankful” for even the hardest challenges. “Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire … If you did, what would there be to look forward to,” an excerpt read via her Instagram Story on Sunday. “Be thankful when you don’t know something … For it gives you the opportunity to learn.”
Her post continued, “Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. Be thankful for your limitations. Because they give you opportunities for improvement. … It is easy to be thankful for the good things. … A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.”
Kardashian and Thompson have had their fair share of ups and downs since they started dating in 2016. Shortly before the pair welcomed daughter True, now 4, in April 2018, the NBA player was caught cheating on his then-pregnant partner with multiple women. After initially staying together, the duo split in February 2019 when Thompson kissed family friend Jordyn Woods. They continued to coparent True, which Kardashian admitted wasn’t always easy.
“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” she told Ellen DeGeneres in October 2020. “Because you have your own personal feelings, but when you can put those aside and you just put your child first — it sounds great when you’re all in love and everything, [but] when you go through something, it’s such a challenge.”
The twosome rekindled their romance during the coronavirus pandemic, calling it quits once again in June 2021. Six months later, Thompson made headlines when he was sued for child support by Maralee Nichols. Us Weekly exclusively confirmed Nichols, 31, gave birth to son Theo in December 2021, and the former Cleveland Cavaliers player announced via social media one month later that he is the father.
Along with True and Theo, the power forward is the father of son Prince, 5, with ex Jordan Craig — and he has another little one on the way. Us confirmed earlier this month that Thompson and Kardashian are expecting baby No. 2 with the help of a gestational carrier, who was already pregnant when news broke of the former Toronto Raptors star’s paternity scandal.
“Khloé is doing her level best to stay positive, but this is a bittersweet time for her, no doubt about that,” a source exclusively revealed amid the surrogacy drama. “She and Tristan went into this journey at a time when they were still very much a couple and planning on a long-term future.”
A second source told Us that the exes are “not communicating” other than when it relates to their daughter. “That is the only communication they have anymore,” the insider noted. “Tristan has realized that he’s a parental figure to True and the new baby [and] that’s all he is to Khloé right now.”
Thompson continued to raise eyebrows earlier this month when he was spotted holding hands with a mystery woman while on vacation in Greece. Kardashian seemingly weighed in on the situation by “liking” a fan’s Instagram post on July 18. “To everyone that’s freaking out about this video of Tristan in Greece with another girl, Khloé and Tristan are both single … So I don’t know why it would be crazy for Tristan to be with another girl as long as he’s a good dad to his baby which we don’t know when Khloé’s surrogate is due,” the post read.
