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Are Kim Kardashian and Jonathan Cheban Still Friends? Kim Sets the Record Straight
Kim Kardashian is setting the record straight about her friendship with Jonathan Cheban.
Jonathan, better known as FoodGod, has been part of Kim’s inner circle for decades, so when fans started speculating that the longtime friends had drifted apart, the Skims founder was quick to shut it down.
The Kardashians star, 45, addressed the rumors head-on while appearing on sister Khloé Kardashian’s podcast, “Khloé In Wonder Land,” on Wednesday, January 21. During the candid conversation, Kim made it clear that despite what people might think, her friendship with Cheban, 51, is very much intact.
Reflecting on the early days of her career, Kim recalled how Jonathan was often right by her side — even helping her pose for paparazzi photos. “I love Jonathan, we should call him,” she told Khloé before pulling out her phone.
As the sisters FaceTimed Cheban, who answered from a dinner in Miami, Kim explained why fans may have assumed something was wrong. “I think people think that we don’t talk,” she said. After ending the call, she doubled down: “Jonathan and I are good.”
Kim went on to explain that life — not drama — is what changed their dynamic. “Here’s the thing, I had kids,” she said. Kim shares daughters North, 12, and Chicago, 8, as well as sons Saint, 10, and Psalm, 6, with ex-husband Kanye West.
“It’s really hard to maintain friendships when you have kids and you’re like in it,” Kim explained. She also pointed out that their lifestyles couldn’t be more different. “Jonathan is not going to come and sit around Calabasas all day. He’s like always on the move.”
Khloé, 41, agreed, adding, “Especially when someone else doesn’t have kids.” She continued, “It’s not like you can do play dates with your kids. I get that. We love Jonathan. There’s so much history there.”
This isn’t the first time Cheban has addressed the speculation. Nearly a year earlier, he shut down similar rumors during a March 2025 interview with Us Weekly, echoing Kim’s explanation.
“I mean, she’s got so many kids and so many things to do and I’m all the way on [the east] coast, so it’s like, yeah, we don’t see each other as much,” he said. “But we talk all the time and anything happens that I feel like we should discuss, we just send it right away.”
Cheban laughed off the ongoing chatter, adding, “It’s so funny to watch this stuff ’cause we are friends and we talk all the time.” He made his stance crystal clear, saying they are “absolutely” still close. “We’re going to be friends forever — and it’s fun.”
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