Travis Barker’s relationship with Kourtney Kardashian seems to be causing quite a stir, but was she really his second choice? His ex-wife has accused him of cheating with Kourtney’s sister, Kim, saying, “I divorced him because I caught them in the act. My family fell apart because of this.” Barker has admitted to being a serial cheater, claiming he was always “girl crazy” and struggled with partying and drug issues until a life-changing plane crash. Yet, his ex insists he’s still lying, saying, “I just wanted to escape toxic relationships and move on. This is the real story behind the headlines.” She shared her fear of flying and a premonition she had before the crash, recalling, “I told my manager I had a horrible feeling about the flight and asked my dad to look after my kids if something happened. Half an hour later, I got the call that my son was critically injured in a crash that killed four people. My worst fear had come true.”
In the midst of everything going on, his top priority was his kids. They were his world. Before marrying Kourtney, Travis had two children with Shanna Moakler, a former Miss USA, while Travis was the drummer for a major punk band in the 2000s. Looking back, Travis confessed, “I was caught up in a wild rock star lifestyle, heavily into drugs. I think someone tampered with our drinks. Three vodka cranberries each shouldn’t do this; we must have had around twelve.” With his frequent travel for work, Shanna was left at home to care for their kids. “He’s still going to walk before I get home. Just make sure he remembers me. Oh, I remember.”
They were out partying and doing drugs all night, leaving their kids at home. Despite this, Travis wanted to put their children first. When he was home, he’d accuse Shanna of sleeping in until 2 PM while he was busy taking care of the kids and working all day. He would say things like, “I can’t wait until you have a job where you have to be there eight hours a day, just like I do.” It felt like he was trying to get under her skin, especially since she was home with the kids, who need constant care. He seemed to be blaming her for not being as involved as he was. It was clear that neither of them was as present as they wanted to be, and it really bothered Travis. He wanted a different life for his kids compared to what he had growing up. “I came from a broken home. I wanted so much more for my children. I wanted a mom who would wake up before three in the afternoon and prioritize our family the way I do.”
Travis wasn’t exactly keeping his promises to his kids either. Everything really fell apart when Shanna accused him of cheating with Kim Kardashian. While Travis admitted to having affairs with other women, he denied ever being with Kim. He did admit, “How could you not stare at Kim? I love curvy girls. Kim was eye candy,” but insisted he never acted on his attraction. Shanna had a different take, saying, “I divorced my ex because I caught them having an affair.” He had already been unfaithful with Paris Hilton before that. Despite their attempts to fix their marriage, it didn’t work out. Even after filing for divorce, they kept living together for their kids and bought a home in Calabasas in 2007, where the Kardashians lived. Travis wanted to be a good dad, but his relationship with Shanna was really unstable. His partying and drug use got worse and worse until a major accident changed everything.
“Your daughter had a feeling something bad was going to happen. The day I left for the flight, she was crying and insisting, ‘The roof’s going to come off.’ During the flight, the landing gear failed, and it sounded like gunshots. We were a fireball in the sky. I tried to save my two friends and ended up catching fire myself. I jumped out through the emergency exit and landed in the jet fuel, which set my whole body on fire. I ended up with 65% of my body burned. In the hospital, I was so medicated that I didn’t even realize my friends had passed away—I thought they were just in different rooms. They couldn’t give me enough medication because of my history of abusing drugs. Travis was in such agony that he thought about ending his life, even telling friends to put a million dollars in a bank account to pay someone to help him die. They had to take his phone away because of it. The hardest part for him was seeing his kids’ reactions. While other kids were drawing pictures of their families or weekend activities, Landon was drawing a plane crash.”
Travis had a tough choice: give up or step up for his kids. “When I left the hospital, I made a big change. I went from using drugs recreationally to completely avoiding pain medication. Did it just click in your head? Yeah, it was mostly about my kids and the fresh start I had. They kept me focused and positive, always reminding me that I had to move past what had happened. The next step was becoming vegan. I got really into music, working out, and boxing. Now, I can really be there for my kids. They think I’m the perfect dad. We do everything together—we’re like best friends.” Meanwhile, just next door, another Kardashian sister was also making her kids a priority after ending a toxic relationship.
Travis Barker, our neighbor and friend, came over recently. His kids and mine get along really well. I’ve known Kim for a good 10 to 12 years, and it’s funny how we all ended up living in the same neighborhood. I’m particularly close to Kourtney. Over the years, Travis and Kourtney’s friendship grew into something more. They’ve been friends and family for a long time, but recently their relationship became romantic. Some people wonder if Travis is the right match for Kourtney, especially since her ex struggled with addiction. But Travis has really worked on his recovery and mental health, showing that past failures don’t define you.
“Spending time with Kourtney, who’s such a great mom and friend, just feels right.” However, as their relationship developed, Shanna started accusing them of tearing her family apart and keeping her kids away from her. “It’s heart-wrenching when your kids think you’re an absent mother. It’s every mom’s worst nightmare. But we just had dinner with our kids and their friends three weeks ago. This issue only started when my ex began dating someone new. It feels like my family’s been broken apart, and now my kids and I are distant because of this new family dynamic. It’s like our family’s been shattered.”
Did she really just say they saw her kids three weeks ago? It feels like she’s blaming the wrong person here. Shanna’s kids have called her out on social media. Their daughter Alabama said, “My mom has never really been in my life. Can everyone stop pretending she’s this amazing mom?” And their son Landon echoed that, saying Shanna isn’t as involved as their dad is.
Meanwhile, Travis’s kids genuinely enjoy their time with Kourtney and their blended family. It’s clear that Travis has found a committed partner in Kourtney. He even took his first flight since the crash with her, saying, “She had just mentioned wanting to travel with me a lot. I told her, ‘Whenever you’re ready to fly, just give me 24 hours’ notice, and I’ll be there. I’d do anything with you.’” By owning up to his past mistakes and focusing on his well-being, Travis has built the happy, healthy home he always wanted for his kids, and he found the perfect person to share it with. He believes Kourtney is his soulmate, declaring, “The fifth man with Kourtney forever,” because he understands that tomorrow isn’t promised.
