Kim Kardashian has been afflicted with a condition with heartbreaking reminders of the disease that killed her father Robert Kardashian in 2023 at age 59.
She revealed the shocking news in a September 2026 trailer for season eight of The Kardashians that she was hospitalized with esophagitis, an inflammation or irritation of the esophagus’ lining.
‘I have something called esophagitis,’ Kim tells her makeup team before she is shown laying on a hospital bed, looking weary as medical staffers tend to her.
A friend of Kim then asks if it’s the same condition Robert died from.
The teaser features an emotional reaction from her mother, Kris Jenner, who admits the news makes her want to cry.
‘I can’t, it makes me want to cry,’ Kim’s mother, Kris Jenner, said.
Kris was married to Robert for 13 years and they had four children together: Kim, Kourtney, Khloe and Robert Jr. They divorced in 1991.
Kim’s father, Robert, who died from esophageal cancer, was an attorney who famously defended OJ Simpson in his murder case.
Esophagitis causes irritation, swelling, and painful swallowing, and can be triggered by stomach acid, infections, or medications.
The family has previously supported esophageal health awareness, helping establish a center at UCLA in 2019.
