Podcast Summary: The Brett Cooper Show

Episode 78: Is the Kardashian Curse to Blame for Kanye’s Breakdown?
Host: Brett Cooper
Date: October 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brett Cooper delves into the persistent theory of the "Kardashian Curse"—the idea that men involved with the Kardashian family experience dramatic personal and career downfalls. Using Kanye West as a focal point, the episode explores public struggles faced by men connected to the Kardashian-Jenner family, including Lamar Odom, Scott Disick, Bruce (now Caitlyn) Jenner, Rob Kardashian, and Kris Humphries. Brett examines whether the curse theory is valid, or if it’s a matter of deeper issues exacerbated by unprecedented fame, lack of male role models, and media scrutiny.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Kardashian "Curse": Pop Culture Myth or Reality?

• Origin of the Theory:
  The "Kardashian Curse" is the belief that men romantically or familially linked to the Kardashians suffer dramatic downfalls. Brett recounts familiar examples:

  • Bruce Jenner’s transition and divorce
  • Lamar Odom’s NBA career collapse and addiction
  • Scott Disick’s battle with alcoholism
  • Rob Kardashian’s anxiety, depression and substance abuse
  • Kanye West’s public mental health struggles

• Kim Kardashian’s Response:
  Brett plays and discusses Kim’s appearance on Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper, where Kim directly addresses the curse:

  "I always really hated that... I think it's, like, really unfair to say that women are the problem when it comes to issues that our exes might be dealing with and that they had those issues before." – Kim Kardashian [~09:25]

  Brett notes Kim frames the curse as a misogynistic narrative blaming women for men's personal issues.

• Brett's Take:
  Brett disagrees with this binary. She acknowledges a "pattern" but argues the reality is more complex:

  "I see this more as a battle with drug addiction and men with no real male role models and mental health struggles that were magnified once they were put under the eyes of the world." [~20:05]

Personal Histories: Trauma Before the Kardashians

• Lamar Odom:
  • Absent father, loss of cousin, involvement in a fatal car crash—traumas predating the Kardashians.
• Scott Disick:
  • Drug/alcohol struggles featured on the show; both parents died within three months in 2013.
• Rob Kardashian:
  • Lost his father at a young age, then grew up amid intense public scrutiny and familial chaos.
• Kanye West:
  • Lifelong battles with mental health; struggles became more visceral in the public eye after joining the Kardashian family.

Kanye West: The Downward Spiral

• Public Breakdown & Bipolar Disorder:
  Clips and accounts from Kanye’s recent documentary and past interviews highlight the intensity of his mental struggles, often on display for the world:

  "That's my personality. But your personality was not like this a few years ago. ...something obviously is wrong there." [~29:05, from the documentary]

  "It is a health issue. This is like a sprained brain.... With us, once our brain gets to a point of spraining, people do everything to make it worse." – Kanye West on David Letterman [~35:55]

  Brett underscores how fame, constant recording, and lack of a supportive environment exacerbated Kanye’s mental health issues.

• More Than Just Kanye:
  The "curse" is examined as the amplifying effect of reality TV, relentless media, and the toxic environment surrounding the Kardashians—especially harmful for already-vulnerable men.

"The Curse" and Stable Men: The Example of Kris Humphries

• Pre-Kardashian Life:
  Kris Humphries—accomplished swimmer, star athlete, raised in a stable family.

• Impact of the 72-Day Marriage:
  After the whirlwind, short-lived marriage to Kim in 2011, Kris described how his reputation and mental health suffered:

  "I wasn't Kris Humphries anymore. I wasn't a real person. I was 'that guy.'" – Kris Humphries [~41:10, from his Player’s Tribune essay]

  "There was about a year where I was in a dark place. I didn't want to leave my home. You feel like, I don't know, the whole world hates you, but they don't even know why. They just recognize your face and they're on you." [~42:55]

  • Brett reflects on the heartbreak of a confident, well-adjusted person having his identity and legacy stripped by public association with the Kardashians.

Notable Quotes & Emotional Moments

• On the Reality of Fame's Toll:

  "For Kanye... he needed stability. He needed support, not Kim and a reality show... and more than anything, I think the man probably needed some freaking privacy." – Brett Cooper [~55:00]

• On Responsibility and Complexity:

  "It's not fair to place the blame for their breakdown solely on the Kardashian women... It seems dismissive and harmful not to address the root issues that these men were dealing with..." – Brett Cooper [~57:10]

• Heartbreaking Exchange from Kanye's Documentary:

  "Did you have an effect on my mental health?
  Yes... and I love you. I don't want you to be not perfect. I love you, and I want my daughter to love you the way you want her to love you." – Kim Kardashian and Kanye West [~51:30]

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction & humor about Kim’s new Skims products
• 08:20 – Kim addresses the Kardashian Curse directly on Call Her Daddy
• 20:05 – Brett reframes the "curse" as rooted in addiction, lack of male role models, and media exposure
• 29:05 – Kanye documentary clips on his mental state
• 35:55 – Kanye on David Letterman comparing mental illness to a physical injury
• 41:10 – Kris Humphries on losing his identity after Kardashian marriage
• 51:30 – Emotional exchange between Kim and Kanye in his documentary
• 55:00 – Brett’s conclusion on the real root cause (fame, lack of privacy, fragile mental health)
• 57:10 – Final thoughts on accountability and the complexity of these challenges

Episode Tone and Takeaways

Brett’s tone is empathetic, critical, and sometimes humorous (especially in her commentary on pop culture oddities like Skims products). She approaches the Kardashian Curse skeptically, encouraging listeners to look past catchy headlines to the deeper emotional and psychological struggles at play. The episode emphasizes compassion for those overwhelmed by fame and calls for a broader discussion about supporting men’s mental health, especially in the spotlight.

Summary

This episode challenges the narrative of the "Kardashian Curse," arguing it’s too reductive and often unfairly targets the women of the Kardashian family. Brett Cooper stresses that the curse is less about something mystical or malicious and more about how unresolved trauma, addiction, lack of stable role models, and the blinding glare of fame erode the mental wellbeing of vulnerable individuals—especially men. The cautionary tales of Kanye West, Lamar Odom, Scott Disick, Rob Kardashian, and Kris Humphries serve as reminders of the immense pressures fame brings, and the dire need for support, stability, and privacy in the lives of public figures.