Lamar Odom & Khloé Kardashian: The Divorce She Called Off to Save His Life
She filed for divorce. He nearly died in a brothel. She withdrew the papers to make his medical decisions. Then she filed again.
Key Facts
What Happened
The marriage of NBA forward Lamar Odom and reality TV star Khloé Kardashian was a whirlwind from the start. They met on August 27, 2009, and married exactly one month later on September 27 — a ceremony that aired on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The couple signed a prenuptial agreement on October 20, 2009, three weeks after the wedding. They launched a joint fragrance, joint clothing line, and a reality show called Khloé & Lamar.
But Odom was struggling with substance abuse and addiction that increasingly destabilized the marriage. In December 2013, Khloé filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. She was already dating NBA star James Harden and wanted to move on. The divorce paperwork moved slowly through the courts, and by late 2015, it still hadn't been finalized.
On October 13, 2015, Odom was found unconscious in a room at the Love Ranch, a legal brothel in Crystal, Nevada. He had cocaine in his system and had ingested sexual performance-enhancing drugs. He was rushed to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, where he slipped into a coma lasting four days. His condition was so dire that doctors told the family to prepare for the worst. Because the divorce had not yet been finalized, Khloé was still legally his wife — and therefore his next of kin with medical decision-making authority. She withdrew the divorce filing so she could make medical decisions on his behalf.
Khloé stayed by Odom's bedside during his recovery, managing his medical care and rehabilitation. Once he stabilized, she re-filed for divorce in May 2016. The divorce was finalized on December 17, 2016. Both parties waived spousal support, and the 2009 prenuptial agreement governed the financial terms. Their joint company, Khlomar, was dissolved. Odom later publicly apologized, saying he 'can't fathom' what he put Khloé through.
Legal Breakdown: Celebrity Divorce
Medical Decision-Making Authority During Pending Divorce
Khloé's withdrawal of the divorce filing to maintain medical decision-making authority highlights a critical legal issue. While a divorce is pending but not finalized, you remain legally married — and therefore retain next-of-kin status. This means you can make life-or-death medical decisions for an incapacitated spouse. Had the divorce been finalized before Odom's overdose, a different family member would have needed to step in, potentially with different wishes about treatment.
Post-Nuptial Prenups and Enforceability
The Odom-Kardashian prenup was signed three weeks after the wedding, making it technically a post-nuptial agreement. Post-nups are treated differently than prenups in some jurisdictions — they can face greater scrutiny regarding fairness and voluntariness, since one party already has the legal protections of marriage. Despite this, the agreement was honored in the final divorce, suggesting both parties had independent legal counsel and the terms were deemed fair.
Waiving Spousal Support
Both parties waived spousal support — unusual in celebrity divorces. This typically happens when both spouses have independent wealth and earning capacity, or when the prenuptial agreement explicitly addresses support. Khloé's substantial income from the Kardashian brand and Lamar's declining but still significant NBA earnings likely made mutual waiver acceptable to both sides. The clean break avoided ongoing financial entanglement.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Even after filing for divorce, you remain legally married until the divorce is finalized — understand the implications for medical decisions, tax filing, and legal liability.
- →Prenuptial agreements signed after the wedding (post-nups) can be enforceable but face additional legal scrutiny. Get independent legal counsel if your spouse proposes one after marriage.
- →Substance abuse by a spouse creates grounds for divorce in many states and can affect custody, property division, and support determinations.
- →Withdrawing a divorce filing is legally possible and sometimes necessary in emergencies — but understand that it resets the process, and you'll need to re-file later.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.