Khloe Kardashian has opened up about why she chose to become the primary caretaker for Tristan Thompson’s brother Amari after his mother Andrea’s sudden death in 2023.
Khloe Kardashian has opened up about why she chose to become the primary caretaker for Tristan Thompson’s brother Amari.
Khloe, 41, shares children True and Tatum with former partner Tristan, 34, and although the pair are no longer a couple, she was close to Tristan’s late mother Andrea and chose to take over Amari’s care after Andrea’s sudden death in 2023.
Speaking on her podcast Khloe in Wonder Land, she said: “For those who don’t know, Tristan has a younger brother who is 18 years old, and he is severely disabled. Amari has LGS (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome), which is a form of epilepsy, and he is disabled. He can’t walk or talk. He’s never been able to talk.
“People are always like, why did I do that? Me and Tristan aren’t together, why would I take on helping with Amari? But when I met Tristan and his family, oh my gosh, like nine, almost 10 years ago, which is crazy. When I met them, Andrea, Tristan’s mom and I, we became such good friends.
“I would help her with Amari medically. She would have questions. She would need connections to certain doctors, and I would help with that. So I was very much involved in all of his medical appointments when Andrea was here.”
“I also know how much Amari means to Andrea, and she passed away because she had a sudden heart attack. Me being in a relationship or not with Tristan, I still have this family that I’ve spent so many years with, that I have such connections with that, my relationship with Andrea has nothing to do with Tristan, and my commitment to her has nothing to do with Tristan, and Amari deserves someone who will be there for him, take care of him, provide a great lifestyle for him and so Amari deserves my love and care, regardless of where me and Tristan stand.”
Tristan’s lifestyle as a pro basketball player isn’t suitable for Amari due to all of the travel his job entrails so Khloe moved him into her Los Angeles home and she loves to see Amari interacting with her children and nieces and nephews.
Khloe – who has “two sensational caretakers for Amari” – said: “Tristan is in the NBA, and he is in a different state literally every other day or every few days, and it’s just not conducive for Amari to be on that many planes. Amari has a handful of seizures a day with the type of epilepsy that he has.
“So Amari stays in LA with me, and I have chosen to take care of him and be there for him, because it’s not good that he travels. I love having Amari be a part of my family.
“We just want to provide Amari with the best, most beautiful life that we know how. And he deserves that.
“I think it’s so important for my kids, my nieces and nephews, to be exposed to all different types of people in the world. I think it teaches everyone compassion, understanding. It opens up their minds to seeing, wow, Amari is disabled, sure, but he’s also just like us at the same time.
“And I love seeing how Amari lights up when he’s around the kids. He can’t verbally talk, but if you know him well enough, he can definitely express himself, and you see the glimmer in his eyes. And he’s just such an amazing, amazing young man.”
Why Khloe Kardashian became primary caretaker for Tristan Thompson’s brother Amari
