Kim Kardashian revealed during the Season 7 premiere of The Kardashians that she has been diagnosed with a small brain aneurysm, a discovery she says was made after years of emotional and physical strain from her turbulent marriage and divorce from Kanye West.
"They found a little aneurysm," the 45-year-old reality star told her sister Kourtney Kardashian during the episode, prompting Kourtney to clutch her chest in shock and respond, "Whoa." The emotional scene showed Kim being rolled into an MRI machine at a medical facility as brain images appeared on a monitor. Moments later, she was heard asking over the phone, "Why the f--k is this happening?"
Doctors reportedly informed the mother of four that the aneurysm was likely stress-induced. According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, about 6.8 million Americans-roughly one in 50 people-have an unruptured brain aneurysm. Women are more prone than men, and small aneurysms are usually monitored with regular checkups rather than immediate surgery.
An aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bulges due to a weakened wall, and though most remain stable, a rupture can lead to life-threatening bleeding. The Mayo Clinic notes that unruptured aneurysms often show no symptoms unless they press against brain tissue or nerves.
Kardashian said the stress of her high-profile relationship with West, 48, had a severe toll on her health. In a confessional, she said she experienced feelings similar to "Stockholm Syndrome" during their marriage but added, "I'm happy it's over." She also told cameras, "People think that I have the luxury of walking away. My ex will be in my life no matter what. We have four kids together."
Kim and West were married from 2014 to 2022 and share four children-North, 12, Saint, 9, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6. During the episode, she became emotional while speaking to her sister Khloe and mother Kris Jenner, saying, "This week has been the hardest week of my life," without elaborating further.
The episode also revisited Kardashian's past health struggles, including psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, autoimmune conditions she has publicly battled for years. In 2022, she said a rapid 16-pound weight loss to fit into Marilyn Monroe's gown for the Met Gala triggered a severe psoriasis flare that worsened her arthritis.
She also suffered placenta accreta during two of her pregnancies, a serious condition where the placenta attaches too deeply to the uterine wall. The star reflected that her health has improved since her divorce, telling viewers she hadn't experienced a psoriasis flare-up until recently while filming Ryan Murphy's legal drama All's Fair.
