Tristan Thompson says his cheating comes from childhood trauma in this week’s episode of ‘The Kardashians,’ as the NBA player dug deep into his past infidelities.
The relationship between Thompson and Khloe Kardashian began in 2016 and continued intermittently until their final breakup in 2021.
Tristan Thompson cheated on Khloe several times during their turbulent relationship, but since their breakup, Tristan has been attending therapy sessions to change his previous behavior.
On the latest episode of The Kardashians, he sat down for a chat with Khloe’s sister, Kourtney Kardashian, as she quizzed him on why he broke Khloe’s heart.
The discussions were not simple, particularly with Kourtney, who arrived at the meeting with a notebook full of questions.
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Nevertheless, the NBA player chose to clarify his cheating on Khloe Kardashian by saying he “didn’t know how to love”.
Tristan opened up to Kylie Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian about his past infidelity.
Kourtney, who was seated across from Tristan, said, “I’m really not here to judge. I don’t have any anger; just more like, I want an understanding of how you could do these things or how it got there.”
She asked if Tristan ever felt “remorse” for his actions. Tristan explained: “For me personally when I cheat, I feel disgusted the next day.
This prompted Kourtney to ask how he could continue to do it if it made him feel so guilty.
“I was just cheating for an action; I was cheating just for a feeling,” Tristan said. He added, “But also, it really came down to not really knowing how to love because that’s the way I grew up.
After going to therapy, Thompson says he can now “own up” to his past transgressions.
Earlier in the episode, the NBA player informed Khloé Kardashian, his ex-girlfriend with whom he shares two children, about his plans to speak with her sisters.
During their five-year relationship, Thompson had several affairs. He even fathered a son, Theo, who was born in December 2021 with model Maralee Nichols while he and Khloé were still together.
Following his apology to Kylie Jenner for severing her friendship with model Jordyn Woods, Thompson went to Kourtney’s Calabasas residence and had a conversation.
Kourtney revealed in a confessional that she had previously avoided talking to Thompson while on the family’s Easter vacation in Palm Springs, California because she “just can’t fake it.”
“It all came down to growing up that way, so I didn’t really know how to love,” Thompson said, addressing the oldest Kardashian sister.
“I believe that through therapy, I have come to understand that the trauma I experienced as a child came from witnessing my dad treat my mom badly. As a young child, you are unable to protect your mother, and when you hear your mother reassure you that everything will be alright, you essentially numb your feelings of fear and sadness. It serves as my line of defense,” said Thompson.
He clarified that he “never understood how to feel pain or someone’s emotions” because his mother Andrea always acted like everything was alright.