Keeping up the controversy? Kanye West can’t stop airing his and Kim Kardashian’s drama publicly amid their divorce battle.
“He likes being in control and having that power,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, noting that the Yeezy designer, 44, is “feeling powerless” as Kardashian, 41, moves forward with the divorce.
The “Jesus Walks” rapper recently has chosen to speak out on social media — bashing the KKW Beauty founder for letting their 8-year-old daughter, North, use TikTok — because “that’s where he feels he’s heard the most,” the insider says.
West, who also shares Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 2, with Kardashian, has been vocal about not wanting to get divorced after his estranged wife filed for separation in February 2021.
“Kanye is putting divorce matters to the back burner,” the source adds. “He didn’t choose divorce and isn’t liking that Kim is basically ‘winning’ so far when it comes to the kids [and] the home.”
The Grammy winner’s recent outburst may seem like an attempt to make Kardashian “look like a bad person, but it’s not intentional,” the insider explains, noting that West is “just trying to win power back.”
The rapper’s comments about wanting North off TikTok is “another example of him just wanting control,” the source tells Us, adding that the father of four “feels she’s too young to be on social media.”
West turned heads last month when he claimed that the Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum and her family wouldn’t tell him the location of their daughter Chicago’s birthday party.
While the “Gold Digger” musician later made an appearance at the January bash, his social media rant about the incident “shocked” his estranged wife, a source exclusively told Us at the time.
The “Stronger” artist raised eyebrows again on Friday, February 4, when he posted a screenshot of one of North’s TikTok videos, writing, “SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST DIVORCE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO ABOUT MY DAUGHTER BEING PUT ON TIK TOK AGAINST MY WILL?”
Kardashian clapped back at her estranged husband’s remarks via a social media statement of her own on Friday.
“Kanye’s constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create,” she wrote via her Instagram Story. “As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision — because it brings her happiness.”
The Skims founder added: “Divorce is difficult enough on our children and Kanye’s obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all.”
West then fired back via his Instagram, writing, “What do you mean by main provider? America saw you try to kidnap my daughter on her birthday by not providing the address.”
He claimed that Kardashian “put security on [him] inside of the house to play with [their] son.” The Georgia-born rapper alleged that he was also accused of stealing by the Selfish author and “had to take a drug test after Chicago’s party cause you accused me of being on drugs.”
With reporting by Diana Cooper