When Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’ wedding special aired in 2011, their marriage was already on its last legs.
Kim, now 43, and Kris, now 39, began dating in the fall of 2010 and were engaged by the following May. Their whirlwind relationship played out during season 6 of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, with Kris’ proposal airing on E! in September 2011. Revisiting the engagement episode — as well as the pair’s two-part wedding special, Kim’s Fairytale Wedding — more than a decade later, it’s clear a happy ending was never in the cards.
The wedding special premiered in October 2011, the same month Kim famously filed for divorce after just 72 days of marriage. Both episodes begin with a disclaimer.
“On October 31, 2011, Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kris Humphries,” the message begins. “She released the following statement: After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage. I hope everyone understands this was not an easy decision. I had hoped this marriage was forever but sometimes things don’t work out as planned. We remain friends and wish each other the best.”
Remain friends they did not. Two months later, Kris filed a response to the divorce petition, requesting an annulment due to “fraud.” A settlement was reached in April 2013 after a lengthy legal battle, with the duo’s divorce finalized in June 2013.
In the years since their split, both Kim and Kris have rarely spoken about what went wrong — but the drama still lives rent-free in Us Weekly’s head.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the most awkward moments leading up to the former couple’s wedding and eventual divorce:
Fighting Over Money
Just as Kris prepared to take the next step in his relationship with Kim, they began to clash over finances. When Kim brought up the possibility of buying her “dream” home, Kris expressed concerns over spending too much money.
“I have a financial plan laid out for my life [and] bringing you into my life is not going to, like, derail my plan,” he told Kim in the car as they drove to dinner.
Kim acknowledged in a confessional that Kris was “one million times more frugal” than her, but to his face, she emphasized that she refused to “downgrade” her life to make him happy if they chose to live in New York City. (Kris played on the Brooklyn Nets from 2010 to 2013.)
“In my mind, we’re about to be married and share everything,” Kris told the cameras. “Am I about to marry this wild card who would potentially want to spend everything that we have?”
Kris’ Cold Feet
As tensions continued to rise in the car, Kris alleged Kim wasn’t “in touch with reality,” which doesn’t exactly set the tone for a proposal. Kris hinted in a confessional that he felt “uneasy” about getting down on one knee after the argument.
The twosome arrived at a family dinner where Kim’s mom, Kris Jenner, expected to see her daughter getting engaged. She pulls the NBA star aside to make sure he wasn’t getting cold feet — a red flag if Us has ever seen one — but he eventually calms her down. He later tells his sister that he was “psyching himself out” about proposing in front of Kim’s whole family.
The Actual Proposal
When the time finally came to pop the question, Kris opted for a more private setting (minus the TV cameras). “This is the biggest moment of my life … I chose her bedroom to ask her to marry me there because to me our love is simple,” he explained. “I just want it to be in her home, quiet and perfect.”
Kris lined the floor with flower petals that spelled “Will you marry me?” and set up small candles on a coffee table. When Kim walked into the room, Kris didn’t give a big, emotional speech. In fact, he hardly speaks. All Kim can muster is “Oh, my God,” which she says several times before finally giving Kris her answer: Yes.
The couple headed to meet up with Kim’s family to share the happy news — but the Kardashians were skeptical. Kris doesn’t do himself any favors when he told Khloé Kardashian that the proposal was a joke.
Tension With Khloé
“What you’re gonna learn really fast in this family is the men have no say so whatsoever,” Khloé told Kris during a family outing after the proposal before Kris teased, “Do you think you’re invited to our wedding?”
Khloé explained that her reservations about Kris came from their first interaction when he questioned her marital status, claiming that she was unsure about his “intentions.” She later pressed her mom about getting Kim to sign a prenup for the sake of the sisters’ businesses.
When the bad vibes between Khloé and Kris reached a breaking point, Kim took her then-fiancé’s side. “You guys just don’t know his personality and you guys don’t even give it a shot to get to know him and talk s—t about him behind his back,” Kim declared after accusing Khloé of “wishing evil” on the couple. In the heat of their argument, Kim briefly uninvited her sister from the wedding.
Planning on a Time Crunch
Both Khloé and her mom expressed concerns over the couple rushing down the aisle, with Kris ultimately explaining that Kim was in her “prime” and they didn’t want to wait. “You want to get married so she looks good in photos?” Kris Jenner asked skeptically. (This coming from the same woman who thought a neck lift was an essential part of prepping for her daughter’s wedding.)
Throughout the planning process, Kim took the reins, which didn’t sit well with Kris. “It’s so disrespectful to me,” he said after learning that the wedding venue was booked without his knowledge. “I can’t live like this.”
When Kim explained that she’s been planning her dream wedding for years, Kris argued that meant she could put “any guy” in that picture with her. “I don’t want to end up like Scott [Disick] and [Caitlyn Jenner], like, not having any say and basically living life in the passenger seat [or] the back seat,” he said. “That’s my biggest fear.”
The pair continue bickering over seating charts and other details, with Kim later revealing that the final count is 150 guests over the limit. “I don’t wanna look back at a wedding and think … ‘Kim stressed me out,’” Kris told the cameras.
The Last Name of It All
One of the pair’s biggest disagreements involved Kim taking Kris’ last name after the wedding. Kim pointed out that Kris is more “traditional” than she is, telling friends at a party that she considered using Humphries — but her mom tried to shut down the idea.
“You are incorporated!” she told her daughter. “Kim Kardashian, Inc. … Britney Spears didn’t change her name.”
After waffling over the decision, Kim ultimately comes to the conclusion that keeping her last name is the “best thing to do.” Kris, however, alleged that the decision wasn’t hers alone. “You can’t just run off to your sisters especially with decisions we should be making together,” he claimed.
When the twosome sat down to sign their marriage license, Kim hadn’t changed her mind. “At this point, I feel like I’m not even getting married,” Kris said. “And I don’t even care.”
Their Different Lifestyles
During a visit to Minnesota, Kris’ home state, he admitted to feeling overwhelmed by the level of attention that came with his and Kim’s relationship. The pair try to go out for a low-key meal but are swarmed by paparazzi.
“This hecticness and all the people, you know, the prying and the stories is only getting worse,” Kim replied. “Like, are you prepared to deal with this?”
When Kris suggested they move to his lake house in Minnesota to start “pumping out babies,” Kim offered a counterpoint. “I think the reason I fell in love with you is because you could handle my career,” she said. “And, like, it wasn’t an issue for you.”
In a confessional, Kris reiterated his concerns, saying, “It’s a little annoying to have that many people following us. All these distractions can lead to issues that shouldn’t really be there.”
Wedding Week Jitters
In the days leading up to the ceremony, Kris and Kim’s tension was at an all-time high. Kim continued to emphasize that she loved how Kris is like a “big kid” — even though she also thought that was his most annoying quality.
During their rehearsal, Kim threatened to “f—king slice” Kris after catching him on his phone. At another point in the faux ceremony, she got Caitlyn to help her run away from the altar.
Kim then dropped the wildest comment yet, saying, “We hate each other, is that normal? … Every last thing annoys me.”
Kris also showed up to the rehearsal with a mustache, which he was asked several times if he would shave before the wedding. “This is all I feel like I have left is my mustache,” he joked. “It’s the only way to send a message to Kim.”
The Wedding Day
With a star-studded array of guests including Kathie Lee Gifford, Maria Menounos, Mario Lopez, Serena Williams, Eva Longoria and more, Kim and Kris exchanged vows on August 20, 2011. The twosome managed to put their differences aside for the ceremony — and Kris even shaved his mustache, which he claimed was the “plan all along.”
“I thought I was gonna be a lunatic the day of my wedding, but I am so calm,” Kim told the cameras. “I am so ready for this moment. … Kris and I are meant to be here.”
Kris, however, made several hints to his nerves taking over on the big day, even muttering that he was “about to have a breakdown” when he reached the altar.
While their wedding day went off without a hitch, the same can’t be said for their whirlwind marriage.
