Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna: A timeline of their dysfunctional relationship and long custody battle
Most of us might have forgotten that the Kardashian clan has another member, who has made sure to stray as far away from the limelight as possible. Rob Kardashian, the younger brother of the Kardashian trio, had basically disappeared off the face of the earth until 2016 when he made his public appearance and began dated Blac Chyna, who he eventually had a baby with. However, their relationship has been anything but blissful.
'ChyRo' as they're collectively referred to, may as well be at the top of the list of the most toxic, turbulent and trainwreck relationships in celebrity dating history. The two had been in an on-and-off relationship, adding a baby to the mix and finally a messy custody battle. The drama between the two has been an absolute roller-coaster, even though it has been well over three years since they called it quits, the recent post-relationship development includes accusations that just might make your head spin.
For those that are yet to jump on the bandwagon, we've compiled all the deets you need to know about the elaborate timeline of ChyRo's disastrous relationship.
January 2016: How it all started
Chyna posted what seemed like a cryptic picture on her Instagram, in which a mystery man is kissing her cheek. Although vague, the man's physical appearance still manages to display a mustache and a baseball cap on his head. Fans only put two and two together realizing that the mystery man's tattoos resembled Rob's. The photo has since been deleted from her page.
Rob seemed to have fallen hard because the young reality star had committed himself to a healthier lifestyle hoping to woo his girlfriend. He had even gifted Blac a diamond ring, possibly a promise ring as multiple sources denied that the two were engaged.
The Kardashian-Jenner family, however, disapproved of the relationship mostly because Chyna had a child from a previous relationship with rapper Tyga, who also started dating Rob's younger half-sister, Kylie Jenner. Kim Kardashian had originally become Chyna's confidante and the only member of the Kardashian family that she was close to, but things didn't remain the same after ChyRo split.
April 2016: He liked it so he put a ring on it
The months following their public exclusivity, ChyRo was seen packing on a lot of PDA. Yet, it came as a surprise when Rob popped the question with a stunning six carat, only after their relationship hit the ten-week mark. By then though, he'd managed to have the whole Kardashian clan onboard his would-be-disastrous relationship.
Then, the following month, the two announced that they were having their first child together, and welcomed daughter, Dream Renée in November 2016.
December 2016: Trouble in paradise
By the end of 2016, however, it was evident that things weren't smooth sailing for the couple. Chyna's Instagram account was hacked and private messages that insinuated that she was allegedly cheating on Rob were leaked online. The messages also seemed to imply that Chyna was using Rob for his fame. She legitimized the messages and went as far as to accuse Rob of being the hacker.
ChyRo were seen together in January 2017, having reconciled after that fallout, but revealed that they wouldn't be going ahead with their marriage plans. A source close to E! confirmed to the outlet that they had separated and lived apart until they officially announced their split in February 2017.
July 2017: Things turn ugly
Kardashian took to Instagram to post three explicit nude photos of her ex, Chyna, without her permission and accused her of turning to drugs and alcohol. Things had taken a downward spiral and turned nasty for the two, buy summer 2017. Kardashian also accused his ex of cheating on him with multiple men, sharing some of her text messages that he had acquired. Cue, the drama.
Chyna filed for a temporary restraining order against Rob, days after his Instagram rant and even got Lawyer, Lisa Bloom, on the case. She was granted the restraining order rather quickly. According to the LA Times, Bloom issued a statement in which she said "Mr. Kardashian, you are now on notice: Revenge porn is illegal. Cyberbullying your ex is harassment. Chyna ended your relationship months ago, and she has the right to live as she chooses, work as she chooses, dress as she chooses, date who she chooses and be intimate with who she chooses." Then in Septemeber, the two agreed to share custody of their daughter, Dream.
But the legal battle had just begun. Later that month, Rob and his younger sister, Kylie, who had been dating Chyna's ex, filed a lawsuit against his daughter's mother for allegedly trying to choke him. Months later, the siblings sued Chyna for assault and over $100,000 in property damage at Kylie's home. In the lawsuit, they accused China of "nothing short of an outright fraud to shake down the Kardashian family", and claimed that she used both of them for fame and to further her career, per People.
Then Chyna file a lawsuit against the entire Kardashian clan, claimed that they had tried to mess up her career. In turn, their show 'Rob&Chyna' on E! was canceled.
"Rob Kardashian is an abuser intent on destroying Angela White, the mother of his baby, who left him in 2016. In revenge, the Kardashian-Jenner family became media predators, slut-shaming her on social media and killing her hit television show [‘Rob & Chyna’], which had already begun filming a second season," the lawsuit said, according to USA Today. The drama then took a new turn, when only a month later, Chyna dropped the charges on most of the Kardashian-Jenner family members, except for her ex, his mother, Kris and his older sister, Kim Kardashian. Kim and Kris are the two people in the Kardashian clan that are involved hands-on in producing the crowd favorite reality show based on their family 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians', so in a way, it made sense that she went after them.
April 2018: More drama
On Easter day of 2018, Chyna was taped assaulting someone at Six Flags Magic Mountain with a stroller. She was at the theme park with her daughter Dream and her son, King. TMZ reported that Rob, who had been planning to file for sole custody of his daughter to keep her safe, was only encouraged by the incident where he witnessed his ex's violent interaction. He now had something to use against her in court.
In the end, however, Rob asked to not continue to pay $20,000 per month as child support to Chyna, which he had been diligently paying. He was no longer appearing in his family's reality show, so his income had decreased and he couldn't afford to pay that much as child support. Rob even put forth that Chyna should be the one paying him child support because she was now worth more than he was. Chyna, unimpressed by his move, took to her Instagram Story to slam Rob, saying "So my children aren't supposed to live the same lifestyle as their fathers ETC ETC ha! As a single mother, I provide for them and give them the luxury lifestyle they deserve... wow"
November 2018: Judge announces a trial
Chyna's lawsuit against the Kardashians persisted and a judge said that suit wouldn't be dismissed and would be going to trial, according to ET. "We thank the court for its careful, well-reasoned rulings," said Bloom, Chyna's lawyer, in a statement. "We look forward to getting a trial date next month and aggressively fighting for Chyna's rights at trial."
Only a couple of months after, the police were called to Chyna's house after a caller said that she was drunk and unable to provide the proper care for her daughter, Dream.
Just a couple of months later, in January 2019, the police were called to Chyna's house after a caller claimed that Chyna was drunk and neglecting her daughter, Dream. According to TMZ, everything seemed fine when the police arrived at the scene. But it seemed that Chyna has fought with someone in her glam squad and only just calmed down when the police came by.
January 2020: The battle continues
Rob filed for emergency custody of Dream based on accusations against Chyna on the grounds that she was using drugs and alcohol, as well as inviting strangers when her daughter was around, per TMZ. He alleged that she was doing cocaine and violent behavior, even mentioning that he'd noticed a change in his daughter's behavior after spending time with her mum. He said Dream was "naked twerking, and acting out sexual positions that she said her mom taught her." However, a month later, a judge denied his request leading his custody battle to continue.
Chyna's lawyer, Lynne M Ciani, said in a statement at the time "Chyna is an excellent mother who loves her son King Cairo and her daughter Dream Renée more than anything in this world. The current custody arrangement for Dream agreed to by Rob long ago is working perfectly fine. Dream gets to spend very special bonding time with her brother King and also time with her dad, who unquestionably loves his daughter very much."
In February, Chyna asked that the suit filed against her by Rob and his sister Kylie in September 2017, be dimmed. ET reported that Ciani said in a statement, "Chyna has submitted evidence to the court proving that she never committed assault and battery against Rob and that his case should be thrown out of court." However, Kardashian has maintained the accusation against Chyna and asked for the charges to stand.
As of present, everyone is awaiting the final verdict on this custody battle with bated breath, wanting this long and problematic drama to just end already. Kardashian and Chyna continue to co-parent their daughter, Dream, and remain separated.