Khloé Kardashian Admits She Was ‘Really Mad at Myself’ for Initially Struggling to Connect with Son Tatum

Mar. 15, 2025

Khloé Kardashian and son Tatum.Photo:Khloe Kardashian/Instagram

Khloe Kardashian/Instagram

Khloé Kardashiancontinues to be open about how she initially struggled to connect with her son Tatum.On this week’s episode ofThe Kardashians, the Good American co-founder, 40, who has been candid in the past aboutdifficulties connecting with her sonafter welcoming him via surrogacy, reflected on her experience in an emotional scene.Noting that her experiences bonding with daughter True, 6, and Tatum, 2, were very different, Kardashian attributed some of those discrepancies to the varying emotional states she was in after each birth.“I do think it was a storm of either traumas or emotions. I mean I knew he was my son and I loved him and I took care of him, but I just did not have that instinctual feeling that I had with True instantly,” she says about Tatum.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“But I knew I was going to get there. I didn’t think Tatum was going to be 5 years old and I would have no attachment to him. I never thought that at all. I simply was really mad at myself," she continues. “Those feelings are not about Tatum. He is the best, sweetest, most loving boy. It was the situation and everything that I went through. I was more mad at myself that I couldn’t get over it faster.”She goes on to say that she made sure to never let Tatum know the difference and also felt like it was important to be honest about her feelings on the show.“I never heard the other side of surrogacy, like ‘Oh you don’t really feel connected.’ And then you feel ashamed in admitting that, where I just was like, ‘Listen, I know my situation had like cheating and other things involved, so I’m sure mine’s layered,' " Kardashian says. “But I wanted people to know that there’s definitely different ways this can go.”During a January episode of her podcastKhloé in Wonder Land, the mom of two spoke aboutchildhood trauma, noting that although her two kids have great lives, it’s likely that they’ll still have some kind of trauma to work through when they get older.“We all have trauma. Whether it be big, or small. I always joke, I’m like, ‘Well my kids better not talk about childhood trauma because they have the best freaking lives,' " Kardashian said in the podcast.“And they do! But it’s going to happen. It’s the inevitable,” she added.New episodes ofThe Kardashianspremiere Thursdays on Hulu.

Khloé Kardashiancontinues to be open about how she initially struggled to connect with her son Tatum.

On this week’s episode ofThe Kardashians, the Good American co-founder, 40, who has been candid in the past aboutdifficulties connecting with her sonafter welcoming him via surrogacy, reflected on her experience in an emotional scene.

Noting that her experiences bonding with daughter True, 6, and Tatum, 2, were very different, Kardashian attributed some of those discrepancies to the varying emotional states she was in after each birth.

“I do think it was a storm of either traumas or emotions. I mean I knew he was my son and I loved him and I took care of him, but I just did not have that instinctual feeling that I had with True instantly,” she says about Tatum.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“But I knew I was going to get there. I didn’t think Tatum was going to be 5 years old and I would have no attachment to him. I never thought that at all. I simply was really mad at myself,” she continues. “Those feelings are not about Tatum. He is the best, sweetest, most loving boy. It was the situation and everything that I went through. I was more mad at myself that I couldn’t get over it faster.”

She goes on to say that she made sure to never let Tatum know the difference and also felt like it was important to be honest about her feelings on the show.

“I never heard the other side of surrogacy, like ‘Oh you don’t really feel connected.’ And then you feel ashamed in admitting that, where I just was like, ‘Listen, I know my situation had like cheating and other things involved, so I’m sure mine’s layered,' " Kardashian says. “But I wanted people to know that there’s definitely different ways this can go.”

During a January episode of her podcastKhloé in Wonder Land, the mom of two spoke aboutchildhood trauma, noting that although her two kids have great lives, it’s likely that they’ll still have some kind of trauma to work through when they get older.

“We all have trauma. Whether it be big, or small. I always joke, I’m like, ‘Well my kids better not talk about childhood trauma because they have the best freaking lives,' " Kardashian said in the podcast.

“And they do! But it’s going to happen. It’s the inevitable,” she added.

New episodes ofThe Kardashianspremiere Thursdays on Hulu.

source: people.com