People love a good conspiracy. Especially when it involves the most famous family in the world and a tattooed punk rock legend. If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Reddit lately, you've probably seen the rumors: the idea that Kim Kardashian and Travis Barker had a secret fling years before he ever looked at Kourtney.
It makes for a great headline. But is it actually true?
Honestly, the timeline is messy. We’re talking about a friendship that stretches back nearly twenty years, long before Hulu cameras or Dolce & Gabbana weddings. Travis was the one who actually encouraged Kim to do reality TV in the first place. Think about that for a second. Without the Blink-182 drummer's nudge, the empire might look very different today.
The 2006 Connection: Paris, Tour Buses, and Crushes
Back in 2006, Travis Barker was dating Paris Hilton. Kim was essentially Paris’s assistant—organizing her closet, carrying her bags, and staying in the background. In his 2015 memoir, Can I Say, Travis didn't hold back. He admitted he couldn't stop staring at Kim. He called her "eye candy" and said he had a massive crush on her.
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They hung out. A lot.
They were in Amsterdam together. They went to dinner. Travis even says he told her, "I don't care if there are cameras, I just want to spend time with you." But here is the thing: both of them have looked at those cameras—and Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy as recently as October 2025—and swore nothing physical ever happened.
"No, I never have," Kim told Cooper when asked point-blank if they hooked up. She explained that Travis was just a close friend who happened to be neighbors with the family for a decade.
Why the rumors won't die
- Shanna Moakler’s Claims: Travis’s ex-wife has been vocal. Very vocal. She claimed she saw "proof" of an affair in 2008, involving emails and secret meetups.
- The Drink Toss: There is a legendary story about Shanna throwing a drink at Kim at an LA club because she was so convinced something was going on.
- The Memoir: Travis writing about how "f***ing hot" he found Kim in a book that’s still on shelves doesn't exactly help the "we were just pals" narrative.
It's awkward. Imagine your sister marries the guy who used to tell everyone you were the hottest girl he'd ever seen. That is the reality for Kourtney and Kim.
The Sister Rivalry and the Travis Factor
There is no denying there’s been friction between the sisters. In recent seasons of The Kardashians, we’ve watched Kourtney accuse Kim of using her wedding as a "business opportunity." Some fans think the tension goes deeper. They think it’s about Travis.
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But if you look at how they actually interact, it feels more like typical sibling power struggles than a fight over a man. Travis has been a neighbor to Kourtney for years. Their kids grew up together. Landon and Alabama Barker were hanging out at the Kardashian house way before their dad started dating the eldest sister.
Travis actually addressed the "ridiculous" speculation in a 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times. He basically said that people take a tiny bit of information and try to solve a mystery that doesn't exist. He’s moved on. Kourtney’s moved on.
What happened to the friendship?
Kinda strangely, Kim and Travis don't seem as close as they used to be. Back in the day, he was the mentor. Now, he’s the brother-in-law. Most of their interaction now happens through the lens of family events or Kourtney’s lifestyle brand, Poosh.
Fact-Checking the Most Common Theories
Let's get real for a minute.
Was there a flirtation? Almost certainly. Travis admitted it himself. Was there an affair? There is zero concrete evidence. Shanna Moakler says she has "proof," but she’s also been a scorned ex-wife for nearly two decades. Kim has denied it. Travis has denied it.
Even Kourtney has said she knew about the crush and isn't bothered by it because it happened in a "different lifetime."
The most interesting part of the Kim Kardashian and Travis Barker saga isn't a secret hookup. It's the influence. Travis was a reality TV veteran from Meet the Barkers when the Kardashians were just starting out. He gave Kim the blueprint. He told her her family was interesting enough for TV.
What This Means for the Family Now
As of 2026, the family seems to have settled into a new rhythm. Kourtney and Travis have their son, Rocky Thirteen, and are firmly in their "Kravis" bubble. Kim is focused on SKIMS and her legal career.
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The "he liked her first" narrative is basically a ghost that haunts the comments section of Instagram, but it doesn't seem to be breaking any plates at Thanksgiving dinner.
If you're trying to keep track of the truth, focus on these three things:
- The Timeline: Their friendship peaked between 2006 and 2008.
- The Denial: Kim has consistently called the hookup rumors a "false narrative."
- The Result: Travis is now firmly Team Kourtney, and his past comments about Kim are treated as a cringey footnote from twenty years ago.
The real takeaway? Celebrity circles are tiny. Everyone has a history, and sometimes that history includes your sister's husband having a crush on you during the George W. Bush administration. It's weird, but in Calabasas, it's just Tuesday.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see the vibe for yourself, skip the tabloids and watch the "Call Her Daddy" interview from late 2025 where Kim breaks down the Paris Hilton years. Also, if you can find a copy, Travis’s memoir Can I Say provides the most honest (and slightly uncomfortable) account of how he viewed Kim before the fame monster truly took over.