Netflix’s documentary on Lamar Odom‘s near-fatal overdose includes a revealing interview with his ex-wife Khloé Kardashian, where she discusses his severe drug use, infidelity, and their eventual divorce.
Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom, which debuted on Tuesday, March 31, chronicles Odom’s life leading up to his marriage to Kardashian, who was 41 at the time. Shortly after their wedding, Kardashian discovered Odom’s struggles with substance abuse, which resulted in him suffering six heart attacks and 12 strokes.
Odom, then 46, began dating Kardashian in 2009, and they became engaged after just a month. They married later that year, but Kardashian filed for divorce four years afterward. She initially delayed her divorce proceedings after Odom slipped into a coma following an overdose at a legal brothel in Nevada.
Once Odom recovered, Kardashian proceeded with the divorce for a second time. The two have since reunited to reflect on their past relationship on Hulu’s The Kardashians and Netflix’s Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom.
Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations about Odom and Kardashian’s relationship in Netflix’s tell-all doc:
Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian’s 1st Meeting
Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, organized a party in Los Angeles where he paid Khloé Kardashian $5,000 to appear. Kardashian said she agreed to attend because of her brother, Robert Kardashian, which is how she met Odom.
“Before this party, I didn’t know who Lamar was. I saw he had a plastic bag and asked, ‘What’s in your bag?’ He said, ‘Candy.’ I accused him of lying, thinking he had condoms in there,” she explained. “When he poured it out, it was all candy—nothing else. I felt so foolish.”
Odom remembered the meeting differently, saying, “That first night, I wanted to sleep with her. But she said, ‘It’s not that kind of party.’ We got together again the next day, and the day after that, and so on.”
Lamar Odom’s Interest in Reality TV
Khloé Kardashian noted that Lamar Odom was keen to be involved in reality television, saying, “He loves the camera. I once told him, ‘We can spend some time together, but you have to leave when the camera crew arrives.’ He asked, ‘Why do I have to go?’”
Kardashian stated that Odom initiated their spin-off show, Khloé & Lamar.
“The idea really came from Lamar,” she said. “I was already overwhelmed. I didn’t want it to affect the family brand, which was Keeping Up at the time. I reminded him about his main job: playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.”
Lamar Odom’s Drug Use
Lamar Odom spoke of his initial encounter with cocaine, recalling his first use with a woman and her husband. Khloé Kardashian, at the time, underestimated the severity of his addiction.
“Initially, it seemed like a recreational activity. As odd as it sounds, it appeared to be done responsibly. Two years into our marriage, he vanished. I genuinely feared something had happened,” she recounted. “I called everyone I could think of, trying to locate him.”
Kardashian added, “When he returned, he explained his actions were because of the trauma from his son Jayden’s passing. That was when I realized I was dealing with something much darker than I had experienced before.”
When Lamar Odom Started to Cheat on Khloé Kardashian
Lamar Odom revealed that Khloé Kardashian discovered his infidelity after being contacted by a woman he was involved with.
“I was headed to Big Bear, California, high out of my mind. The woman I was with took my phone and reached out to my wife,” Odom shared with producers.
Khloé Kardashian had a similar recollection, stating, “Out of nowhere, I got a call from her saying, ‘I’ve been sleeping with your husband. He’s a mess and keeps asking for money and drugs. I need off this ride. Can you come get him?’”
Kardashian admitted she had her doubts but lacked solid proof of his unfaithfulness.
The Moment Lamar Odom’s Addiction Got Worse
Khloé Kardashian described how Lamar Odom’s drug use became more frequent as their marriage progressed.
“His drug use escalated. There were times he’d disappear for 12 hours or even days, skipping rehab. He’d go on drug binges, and no one could locate him,” she recalled. “I’d find myself searching alleys or motels. He’d leave behind tinfoil cutouts and spoons, using them to freebase. I’d clean up after him in hotel rooms.”
She continued, “I became an enabler, though I didn’t realize it. I felt obligated to cover up and protect him.”
After Odom was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, his drug use intensified.
“I’d never seen so many drugs in one place, and the atmosphere around us was so dark. They weren’t testing for certain painkillers, and he knew which ones would go undetected,” Kardashian explained. “He was freebasing painkillers and locked himself in the hotel bathroom for days, unaware of time. It was unbearable because he was so high.”
Why Khloe Kardashian Hid Lamar Odom’s Addiction
Khloé Kardashian revealed that she didn’t make Odom’s drug issues public because they were concerned about his career.
“When I realized there was a serious problem, he said, ‘You can’t tell anyone, or I’ll lose everything. Where will we live if that happens?’” she recalled. “I was 24 at the time, still figuring out my life. We had the show, but we weren’t earning that much.”
She continued, “I kept all these secrets, feeling terrible about myself. My first real love, and I wanted to fix him. I thought if I loved him enough, I could make him better. I was constantly trying to protect him from getting caught, which sounds crazy. I wanted to maintain his image as Lamar Odom. I didn’t sleep for years.”
Kardashian added that the situation worsened whenever Odom was off-season.
“He spiraled out of control and took dangerous drugs,” she noted. “He overdosed several times. I had to pump his stomach in private. I got him help at home and in detox centers. We tried everything.”
Lamar Odom and Khloé Kardashian’s onscreen reunion was even more awkward than expected. During the Thursday, February 6, episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians, Khloé, 40, reflected on her tumultuous marriage to Lamar, 45, after he briefly crossed paths with her friend Malika Haqq. “Lamar was and is definitely someone that I felt was the love […]
Lamar Odom’s Intervention
The situation escalated when Khloé Kardashian was advised to organize an intervention for Lamar Odom, saying, “The interventionist said, ‘You need to tell him to go to rehab. If he refuses a three-month program, you must threaten divorce.’ Everyone assured me he’d never agree to a divorce.”
Odom’s reaction, however, was unexpected.
“He said, ‘Fine, just give me my passport, and let’s get the divorce.’ I didn’t want that,” she admitted. “Lamar left immediately, declaring, ‘We’re getting divorced, and I’m never coming back.’”
Odom subsequently visited a legal brothel in Nevada, where he experienced an overdose.
The Aftermath of the Overdose
In the documentary, Khloé Kardashian stated that Lamar Odom’s father visited him at the hospital but left after receiving “a pair of Nikes, $100, and a hotel room for the night.”
Odom expressed his gratitude to Kardashian, saying, “I couldn’t control my bowels. My wife helped clean up.” Kardashian confirmed she stayed at the hospital for “about four months” without leaving.
The Breaking Point
Khloé Kardashian set up a home for Lamar Odom to recover but later found him using drugs again.
“He was sitting on the bed, smoking crack. I punched him in the face,” she recounted. “I’d put my life on hold to care for him. I realized he was manipulating me to maintain his lifestyle. I told him, ‘By Monday, you need to leave. I’m done. I won’t pay for anything, and I never want to speak to you again.’”
