"Because our Dad died so young, Lamar was the first man that ever came in our lives that was like, the head of the household. For all of us," Kardashian explained in a confessional. "Lamar was everyone's protector. Everyone — even if someone was older — looked up to Lamar."
Robert Kardashian Sr., Khloé's father, passed away in 2003, six years before she met Odom. The former NBA player quickly assumed a significant role within the Kardashian family dynamic.
"The way Lamar was on this pedestal, but deservingly," she continued, explaining the impact his subsequent struggles had on her entire family. "It made me sad because the demise of Lamar hurt and affected every single one of my family [members]."
Despite their complicated history, Kardashian acknowledged lingering affection for her ex-husband. "We still love him and cherish him, but that man is just not there," she said. "Seeing him at Malika's, I was just like, I can't help you anymore. You'll never be the person that we all idolized."
The Good American co-founder initiated the meeting as she approached her 40th birthday, hoping to "shed some baggage" from her past. During their marriage, which began in 2009, Odom became deeply integrated with the Kardashian family, appearing at events like the 2010 Teen Choice Awards alongside Khloé and her sisters.
Their relationship deteriorated after Odom's 2015 overdose, which left him in a coma and prompted Kardashian to temporarily become his caretaker. She officially cut ties after discovering he was "repeating some of the same behaviors" she couldn't tolerate.
"I was very upset. I said to him, 'I'm going to Vegas. You need to be out by Monday. That's it, I'm done,'" Kardashian recalled of their final interaction before the recent reunion.
The emotional weight of the relationship's dissolution still resonates with Kardashian. "I have dealt with so much trauma in this relationship for years and this was such the love of my life that to learn how to unlove someone — to have to go through all that — it's almost like a death," she reflected.
New episodes of "The Kardashians" premiere Thursdays at 12 a.m. ET on Hulu, continuing to chronicle the family's evolving relationships and personal journeys.
