Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson’s surprise, whirlwind 9-month romance has come to an end for now, multiple sources close to the couple told E!, and they have decided to just be friends.
The sources explained that although Kardashian and Davidson have “a lot of love and respect for each other,” the long distance and their busy work schedules “made it really difficult to maintain a relationship.” E! learned the two broke up “sometime this week.” Davidson has been in Australia filming Wizards! while Kardashian has been in Los Angeles with her family.
The surprise report comes days after sources detailed to Us Weekly and E! that Kardashian and Davidson were making things work just fine while being long distance. A source close to Kardashian painted a particularly rosy picture to E! on August 1, claiming the couple was not having trouble despite being continents apart.
“The distance hasn’t been an issue for Kim and Pete’s relationship while he’s been away filming,” the source said. “They are still going strong and making it work. When they are apart, they are in constant communication. [They] FaceTime consistently [and are] always getting quick phone calls in when they can.”
The source added that Kardashian was very into Davidson. “Kim loves that he’s always making her laugh and he truly makes her day when they talk,” the source said. “She is still smitten over him and it just works for her.”
Days later, a source acknowledged to Us Weekly that the couple was having some difficulty with the distance but were still making it work. “Kim and Pete are in constant communication,” the source said, noting the time difference between Los Angeles and Australia did indeed create hurdles. “Time zones and filming call times make talking difficult,” the source said. But Kardashian and Davidson found a way to keep the romance going while the other was sleeping in their city. “They send each other love notes while the other is sleeping and FaceTime whenever their schedules link up,” the source said. “The distance has been hard, but even communicating long-distance is exciting for them.”
“[They] can’t get enough of each other,” the source said. “[They’re] still very smitten with each other and can’t wait until they’re in the same place again.”
Neither Davidson, Kardashian, nor their reps have commented on split reports yet. Kardashian and Davidson were first romantically linked last fall. This is Kardashian’s first public relationship since her divorce from Kanye West.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.