Sometimes the best romances start off as friendships! While Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s new relationship may come as a surprise to many, the pair have known each other for years.
After Barker spent time with Kardashian at her mom Kris Jenner’s Palm Springs, California, home in January 2021, Us Weekly confirmed that the pair were dating. “Kourtney and Travis are officially a couple,” the insider told Us. “They have been close friends for years and have been dating for a couple months. Travis is very smitten with Kourtney and has been for a while.”
Shortly before the dating news broke, the Blink-182 drummer left multiple flirty comments on the Poosh founder’s Instagram posts. As she shared a steamy selfie from her closet, Barker commented with a rose emoji. He dropped a mermaid emoji beneath a pic of her walking into the ocean. He also wrote, “You’re So Cool,” after she shared screenshots of the 1993 film True Romance. (The rocker has previously stated that True Romance is his favorite movie, and he even named his daughter after Patricia Arquette’s character, Alabama.)
Kardashian and Barker’s bond goes way back. The duo, who live in the same Calabasas, California, gated community, have been spotted out together on numerous occasions including in 2018 when they grabbed dinner and later attended evening church service. The musician has made appearances on her family’s long-running show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, alongside his ex-wife Shanna Moakler.
Barker once gushed to Us exclusively about how he was attracted to the mother of three’s sister Kim Kardashian when she was still Paris Hilton’s assistant. “How could you not stare at Kim? Mind you, I enjoyed hanging out with Paris, but I love curvy girls,” he explained in October 2015. “Kim was eye candy. I was no way disrespectful to Paris, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Kim!”
Since the pair both live in Calabasas, they would casually get together sometimes. “We would go out to eat, just hang out,” he said, noting that he “had a crush on her and we were flirtatious, but nothing ever happened.”
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The former Dash owner shares children Mason, Penelope and Reign with ex Scott Disick. The pair forged a friendship after ending their rocky on-and-off romance in 2015 after nine years. While Disick went on to date Sofia Richie for nearly three years before moving on with Amelia Gray Hamlin in late 2020, Kourtney was previously linked to Younes Bendjima and Luka Sabbat.
The Meet the Barkers alum, for his part, was married to Moakler from 2004 to 2008. The exes share daughter Alabama and son Landon. Barker briefly dated Rita Ora in 2015.
Scroll down to see Kourtney and Barker’s relationship timeline: