The Acknowledgment of a Problematic Power Dynamic: Tristan Thompson's Controversial Kiss with Jordyn Woods
Tristan Thompson candidly confronts the concerning power dynamics in his kiss with Jordyn Woods on 'The Kardashians' episode aired on November 16th, acknowledging the significant age difference between them
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Tristan Thompson is finally ready to take responsibility for the role he played in his relationship with Jordyn Woods.
Tristan, 32, expressed remorse for his past infidelity to Khloé Kardashian during a recent episode of The Kardashians. Specifically, he reflected on how his makeout session with Jordyn, 26, not only affected Khloé, 39, but also her family. He admitted to feeling sorry for the impact it had on Kylie Jenner and acknowledged that as the older and wiser person, he should have handled the situation differently.
Tristan conceded that it took him a while to acknowledge his errors, stating, "It's not uncommon for men to only realize their mistakes when they're already in their 40s or 50s and it's too late. Hopefully, I haven't missed my chance."
In 2016, the NBA player began a relationship with Khloé and they revealed in the following year that they were expecting a child together. Shortly before their daughter True was born in 2018, Tristan betrayed his pregnant partner by engaging in infidelity with numerous women.
Khloé and Tristan ended their relationship in February 2019 following Tristan's kiss with Jordyn, who used to be Kylie's closest friend. (Jordyn was 21 years old, while Tristan was 28 at the time.)
In August 2020, we confirmed that Khloé and Tristan decided to give their romance another try. However, less than a year later, they broke up once again. Although they briefly reconciled in late 2021, their relationship ultimately came to an end for good.
In December 2021, it was reported that the athlete was facing a child support lawsuit from Maralee Nichols. One month later, Tristan confirmed that he is the biological father of Theo, the son of the fitness model, after undergoing genetic testing. Interestingly, it was discovered that Khloé and Tristan's surrogate was also pregnant at the same time, resulting in the birth of their son, Tatum, in the summer of 2022.
Following Tristan's involvement with Jordyn, Kylie, who was 26 at the time, ended her friendship with her former best friend.
The former friends came together multiple times earlier this summer. Before Jordyn and Kylie had a public encounter, Tristan chose to have a conversation with Khloé's youngest sister to finally address the drama.
"It truly bothers me because our relationship was amazing. However, everyone was affected differently. You were impacted the most by the situation," he expressed to Kylie in the episode on Thursday. "You lost Jordyn, who played a significant role in your life. I understand how much she meant to you and the bond you had. It was not right or intelligent of me to involve myself in that situation."
Tristan expressed remorse, stating, "I would like to apologize as I deeply regret my actions. They have caused me great guilt and I acknowledge that I made poor choices due to my immaturity and foolishness. Once again, I sincerely apologize for that."
Kylie, having forgiven Tristan, revealed that the situation had positively transformed her.
"I believe I had become overly reliant on Jordyn, to the point where I couldn't envision my life without her. We likely would have continued living together. It was necessary for both of us to grow separately and independently," she remarked. "Jordyn and I are on good terms. We still communicate and catch up with each other."
Tristan subsequently requested Kylie to pass on his apology to Jordyn, along with continuing his rounds of apologies. His visit to Kourtney Kardashian's house had a somewhat uncomfortable start when he encountered her 11-year-old daughter, Penelope. (Kourtney, 44, previously mentioned in an episode earlier this month that her distaste for Tristan influenced her daughter.)
Tristan endeavored to clarify to Kourtney the reasons behind his infidelity. He confessed, "I engaged in cheating to fill a void or seek a certain emotional experience. However, it ultimately boils down to my lack of understanding on how to love. My upbringing played a significant role in this realization during therapy sessions. Witnessing the way my father treated my mother as a child, I experienced a deep sense of trauma and helplessness, resulting in emotional detachment as a defense mechanism."
Tristan proceeded to discuss how therapy has enabled him to confront his past errors. "I lacked understanding of experiencing pain or emotions because, despite being mistreated, the most influential person in my life always appeared content," he added. "I have never witnessed a man treating a woman well. I have never witnessed a man remaining faithful to a woman. I have yet to witness a commendable husband."
In reply, Kourtney explicitly expressed her ongoing anger towards Tristan for causing harm to Khloé.
"I don't believe you are worthy of Khloé. The things you have done are not deserving of her," stated the founder of Poosh, concluding with a "To Be Continued" message at the episode's conclusion.
New episodes of The Kardashians are made available on Hulu every Thursday.
