Khloe Kardashian ‘idealizes’ Tristan Thompson but body language shows she doesn’t trust him, expert says
AFTER the shock news Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson are expecting another baby, many will be wondering about their relationship status.
The 38-year-old reality star and pro basketball player ex, 31, conceived their second child via surrogate when they were back together last year.
But days later, they were rocked by the revelation Tristan had cheated AGAIN with Maralee Nichols, 31, conceiving another child.
Body language expert Judi James has dissected the pair’s movements over the past few months, to see what they tell us about the couple.
Judi believes Khloe still “idealizes” Tristan and believes she “can find the moral man he used to be”, she told The US Sun.
But despite this, her facial expressions and voice show she doesn’t really trust him and was suspicious even before the latest cheating scandal.
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Judi explains: “We get to see the official photos, quotes and interviews about this relationship which is at times complex but also a simple ‘boomerang’, as far as its flight path is concerned.
“With adoration and idealization followed by cheating and splits, followed again by attempts to repair and refresh the idealistic approach.
“No-one else should ever get to judge a couple’s relationship or why Khloe seems so intent on offering trust and love in the face of all the evidence to the contrary.
“But looking at the body language behind all the official declarations and explanations can possibly throw some light on what was really behind her decisions.
“If we pick out her key words and the body language she uses to deliver them we can begin to guess at Khloe’s rational and emotional thought processes.”
IDEALIZING HER EX
Judi also referenced a previous episode of The Kardashians in which Khloe gushed over four-year-old daughter True’s dad.
She says: “When Khloe tries to explain why they are back together again in May, she cites his ‘effort’ and his ‘therapy’.
“However the non-verbal cues hint at some suspicion or doubt things might not work out.
“Her eyes roll up to the ceiling and her lids flutter as she speaks, with these two cut-off rituals suggesting she knows she might have trouble convincing other people.
“She even falls into a sing-song voice as she speaks of ‘therapy’, rather than a more serious tone.
“Throughout she seems to need to see Tristan in the most idealistic way as a person.
“This could be because he is the father of her child and she needs to compartmentalize in terms of his roles, protecting his role as father to her daughter from his behaviour as a partner.”
MICRO-SIGNALS SUGGEST SUSPICION
It is Instagram shots of Tristan playing with True where he is “looking at his most relaxed and happy”, Judi believes.
“This is in contrast to the video of him with Khloe’s family where he uses little eye contact and sits in a more compliant way,” she adds.
“When she tries to explain their relationship in her ABC interview, she still stresses words that define his ‘good’ side, using signals of what look like pride in her self for having him there when she gave birth.
“There is another huge clue as she says she wanted to create ‘pure and perfect’ videos for their daughter.
“Saying he is a ‘great guy and a great dad’ she uses complex micro-signals that could suggest she is not totally convinced herself while she tries to convince us.
“There is a small one-shoulder shrug, a narrowing of the eyes and an asymmetric mouth smile that all suggest mixed emotions.”
SEARCHING FOR THE ‘MORAL’ MAN
Judi continues: “In the early days, Khloe describes him as ‘safe’ and even says that his ‘morals and ethics’ were a prime attractor.
“She looks as though she might be drawn to prove that initial assessment as still being right, despite everything, as though she feels she has lost that man and can somehow find him again if she persists.”
KHLOE’S DEFIANCE
But Khloe’s not always so positive about her ex.
Judi adds: “It’s the Father’s Day photos that seem to signal real rejection at that time.
“She walks ahead with a large spatial gap and when they are close, she seems to shrug off his attempt to put an arm around her.
“She also performs a partial pit-bare, with one hand lifted to her head to bare the armpit in a gesture associated with defiance, strength and status.
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“But what looks like her desire to recreate an idyllic relationship from the ashes of the old one seems to be a re-occurring theme.
“By 2021, she is claiming they would ‘come out stronger’ and still calling him her ‘best friend’.”