Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson were in 'couples therapy' before news of his paternity scandal broke

• Khloé Kardashian said on "The Kardashians" that she and Tristan Thompson were in "couples therapy."
• Kardashian said on the show that "if Tristan had his way" they'd be in a romantic relationship.

On the Thursday premiere of Hulu's new reality series "The Kardashians," Khloé Kardashian revealed that while she and her ex Tristan Thompson were not together romantically, they were in "couples therapy" before he admitted in December 2021 that he was the father of Maralee Nichols' baby.

"I say 'couples' but it's really his therapy that I'm asked to join. I think I just call it couples therapy because I don't know what else you would call it," Kardashian explained in a confessional interview for the show, which began filming in fall 2021, several months before news of Thompson's paternity scandal broke.

According to Kardashian, "if Tristan had his way" the pair would be in a romantic relationship again, but she needed "a little breathing room and time to think."

"Every day he tries to show me and prove to me that he's a different person and that I should have faith and trust him," Kardashian said of her ex on the episode. "But him and I have been through so much together that I have a lot of reservations."

She confessed that she always had a guard up around Thompson, who she described as "one of my best friends" and "a really hands-on dad."

"I know you're going to be heading to Sac soon. And something that I know means a lot I think to the both of us is the therapy aspect," Kardashian told Thompson in a heart-to-heart before the NBA star left to train with the Sacramento Kings. "I notice such a big difference in you when you are on top of your game... and you just stay on I think your personal health, like well-being whether that be mind, body, soul."

Thompson agreed and said he appreciated the way Kardashian has treated him despite his past transgressions. Kardashian confessed, "I know how to be a monster to you if I want to," but Thompson said she never has been.

Kardashian admitted to throwing water on Thompson's clothes during the first cheating scandal they went through together when she was nine months pregnant with their daughter True.

"If I wasn't pregnant, I would have fucked you up," she said. "I just didn't want to break my nails before delivery."

Thompson has admitted to cheating on Kardashian multiple times throughout their relationship

Kardashian and Thompson confirmed their relationship in a Halloween-themed social media post in October 2016 and have been on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs since.

Videos of Thompson appearing to kiss other women were released by the Daily Mail and TMZ in April 2018 when Kardashian was nine months pregnant with his daughter.

Thompson was present for his daughter True's birth and the couple reportedly stayed together until February 2019 when Thompson kissed Jordyn Woods during a house party he hosted. At the time, Woods was Kardashian's sister Kylie Jenner's best friend.

Kardashian seemingly confirmed the betrayal in February 2019 with a series of cryptic social media posts.

When Woods went on "Red Table Talk" in March 2019 to explain what happened the night of Thompson's party, Kardashian responded with a tweet that said, in part, "BTW, You ARE the reason my family broke up!"

She followed that up with a tweet about Thompson. "Tristan is equally to blame but Tristan is the father of my child. Regardless of what he does to me I won't do that to my daughter. He has been addressing this situation PRIVATELY," she tweeted.

In December 2021, Nichols said that Thompson was the father of her child born December 1. Thompson denied her story but admitted to spending time with her between December 2020 and March 2021 in court documents.

In January 2021, Thompson confirmed via a social media post that a paternity test had proved he was the father of Nichols' son. In the post, he publicly apologized to Kardashian.

"I take full responsibility for my actions. Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son," he wrote in the statement.

"I sincerely apologize to everyone I've hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal both publicly and privately," the statement continued. He named Kardashian, saying that she doesn't "deserve this."

"You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You don't deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you. I have the utmost respect and love for you," Thompson wrote, addressing Kardashian.

Kardashian addressed her status with Thompson in an ABC Special that aired on April 6 in advance of "The Kardashians" premiere, confirming that she was not interested in being in a relationship with Thompson.

"I remember when he cheated on me right before I gave birth, and I was able to still have him in the delivery room," she told Robin Roberts. "And so yes, it might have looked strange to the outside world, but when my daughter watches my home videos of it, those videos are going to be as pure and perfect as I was able to make them."

"I still think he's a great guy and he's a great dad, he's just not the guy for me," she added.