Kanye West was spotted with model Irina Shayk this weekend, further fueling rumors that the two are becoming a couple. According to a report by TMZ, West and Shayk were spotted out and about in France on Tuesday — West’s 44th birthday. So far, the exact nature of their relationship is not clear.
West and Shayk were in the region of Provence, France this week, walking around a luxury boutique hotel with extensive grounds. The two were seen by themselves and also with some friends, and witnesses say they looked “very much like a couple.” Sources have told TMZ that their relationship is romantic as well, though they couldn’t say how serious the stars are.
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This new fling comes just under four months after Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from West. Meanwhile, Shayk broke up with actor Bradley Cooper two years ago this month. She has not had any other public romances since.
If Kardashian knew that West was spending his 44th birthday with another woman, it didn’t seem to bother her. She and other members of her family wished West a happy birthday in posts on social media. So far, there have been no hints of Kardashian striking up a new romance following the divorce.
“Happy Birthday Love U for Life!” Kardashian wrote on Instagram on West’s birthday. She included a photo of herself and West on an airplane with three of their children. In her own post, Khloe Kardashian wrote: “Happy birthday to my brother for life!!! Have the best birthday Ye! Sending you love and endless blessings!!”
It’s still not entirely clear what drove Kardashian and West apart after nine years together. In the last few years, West’s erratic public behavior has raised concerns about his mental health, and Kardashian has sometimes fueled these concerns with posts about his bipolar disorder. During his 2020 presidential election campaign, West shared a story where he talked Kardashian out of getting an abortion, which shocked fans.
West also made strange claims about Kardashian and her family on social media, often deleting them later without specifying whether he was taking them back or not. Some were attributed to delusional paranoia due to his condition. He claimed at one point in 2020 that he had tried to divorce Kardashian but that he had not succeeded for some reason, and also that his wife had tried “to lock me up.”
The couple began spending more time apart after that, with West retreating to their estate in Montana alone for a time. Kardashian filed for divorce in February, citing “irreconcilable differences.” They have agreed to joint custody of their four children and no spousal support in either direction.
