After being friends for years, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker got engaged on a beach in California last week. Prior to their very public nine-month relationship, the couple has raised much speculation about their relationship status through the years. In 2018 especially, the pair sparked dating rumors when they were spotted having multiple dinners in public and even attending church services together.
Barker and Kardashian both live in the same gated community in Calabasas, Calif., and Barker has appeared in “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and “Kocktails with Khloe” with his family. In 2019, Barker told People Magazine, “Kourtney’s like a dear friend. That’s it. I mean, I love her to death. I love her family to death. But yeah, just friends.”
Here’s a rundown of what we know about the couple’s relationship:
January 2021
In January, Barker left a rose emoji in the comments of one of Kardashian’s mirror selfies, a mermaid emoji on another and the words, “You’re so cool,” on another, once again prompting fans to speculate about their relationship status.
Later in the month, Kardashian shared a photo of the view from Kris Jenner’s home in Palm Springs, and Barker followed suit with photographs on Instagram with the same backdrop. A source confirmed to E! News that Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker were “officially an item” and had been dating since December. “It’s been very low-key,” the source said. “They are a really good match, and Kourtney’s entire family already loves Travis. They have been neighbors and great friends for years, and it just recently turned romantic.”
February 2021
Barker and Kardashian were again spotted out and about at various dinners. After celebrating Valentine’s Day together, the pair went Instagram official by posting a photo of themselves holding hands in a car.
March 2021
On March 4, Barker appeared on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” telling Barrymore, “I’m spending time with a woman who’s a great mom, who’s a great friend, and you don’t have to worry about any of those things. It just comes natural, it’s like a maturity thing.”
On March 27, the couple made a public appearance, attending the UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2 event live. They were spotted sitting close to actor Megan Fox and rapper Machine Gun Kelly.
Also in March, Barker shared a photo on his Instagram story of a handwritten note. Presumably written by Kardashian, it read, “I love you.”
April 2021
On April 9, Kardashian made it clear how serious the couple was by sharing a photo of Barker’s chest, marked with a new tattoo of her name. The following day, Barker posted a photo of himself drumming with the caption, “All day I dream about sex w/ you,” which are lyrics from the Korn song “A.D.I.D.A.S.” Despite the fact that Kardashian was not in the photo, Barker tagged her, leading fans to believe the caption was dedicated to her.
A few weeks later, Barker shared a series of PDA-heavy photos on Instagram for Kardashian’s birthday with the caption, “YOU’RE A BLESSING TO THIS WORLD HAPPY BIRTHDAY.”
The pair also set off to Utah on vacation in April, sharing the above picture of them kissing in the desert, which almost instantly went viral.
May 2021
On May 22, Barker posted a collection of photos from a family trip to Disneyland, including one of the couple holding hands on a carousel. He captioned the photo, “Happiest Place on Earth.”
“Happiest,” Kardashian responded in the comments section, to which Barker replied, “With the love of my life.”
July 2021
In mid-July, the couple was spotted at the UFC Aldana vs. Kunitskaya match in Las Vegas. Engagement and wedding rumors circulated after Kardashian’s hair stylist @glencocoforhair shared photograph of hairstyles he designed for the getaway on Instagram, along with a caption, “…NOWWW I understand why ppl tie the knot in Vegas. There’s nothing like love AND a good time.”
Alabama, Barker’s daughter, added to the rumors by posting a photo of the couple from the weekend and tagging them with the caption, “So happy for you guys.” That same month, when playing Never Have I Ever on an Instagram Live, Alabama referred to Kardashian as her stepmom.
August 2021
August marked Barker’s first flight since surviving a plane disaster in 2008, which killed his security guard, Charles Still; his assistant, Chris Baker; and the plane’s pilots. Barker was left with third-degree burns all over his body as a result of the incident, and he spent months in the hospital recovering.
Barker travelled on the flight with Kardashian to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and later posted an Instagram photo of the couple embracing in front of the plane captioned: “With you, anything is possible.”
Barker and Kardashian also travelled in Italy in August, sharing more PDA-heavy photos. Scott Disick, Kardashian’s former partner, reportedly sent a direct message to Kardashian’s other ex-boyfriend, Youndes Bendjima, complaining about her PDA with Barker. Bendjima shared a screenshot of the alleged DM, which read, “Yo is this chick ok!??? Brooo like what is this. In the middle of Italy.” The screenshot also included Bendjima’s response: “Doesn’t matter to me as long as she’s happy. PS: i ain’t your bro.”
September 2021
In September, Barker opened up to Nylon Magazine about his first flight in thirteen years. “I made a deal with her that she had just said to me, ‘I would love to do so much traveling with you.’ And I said, ‘Well, when the day comes you want to fly, I’m telling you I’ll do it with you. I would do anything with you. Just give me 24 hours’ notice.’ And that’s what she did.”
He added, “It’s still something very new to me, but having something that gives me the strength and hope to be able to overcome things that were so traumatic in my life, it just says a ton. She’s definitely that for me. I’m invincible when I’m with her. It’s just like I never dreamed, I never even considered flying again.”
October 2021
On Oct. 17, Kourtney and Travis confirmed their engagement on Instagram, with Kardashian showing off her oval-shaped engagement ring. Barker proposed on one knee at the Rosewood Miramar hotel in Montecito, Calif., and had the staff create a rose arrangement in the shape of a heart on the beach.
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