Rumor has it that Kim Kardashian and Van Jones are dating. At least that’s according to some sources, who speculate the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and the CNN reporter decided to turn their longtime friendship into a romantic relationship in recent months. But how true are those reports?
According to The Daily Mail, the SKIMS founder, 40, and the political commentator, 52, are still just friends—for now, at least. The pair initially sparked rumors of a romantic relationship in January 2021 after news of Kim’s divorce from Kanye West first broke. Kim, who is still in the process of becoming a lawyer, has worked closely with Van during her four-year law apprenticeship at his criminal justice reform organization, #cut50. Some believe that the pair connected romantically during their time there, but the Daily Mail reports that Kim and Van only have a “working relationship” thanks to their “shared interest in criminal justice reform.”
An earlier source told OK! Magazine that while their relationship was platonic, it did have an impact on Kim’s split with Kanye. “There is nothing romantic going on between Kim and Van, but there is no denying that she admires him, and he admires her,” the insider told OK! in January 2021. The source added at the time, “Kanye cannot stand the fact that Kim’s life no longer revolves around him. Her devotion to the kids is her number one priority, followed by criminal justice reform. Kanye feels like he has been pushed down her priority list and isn’t happy about it.”
Kim and Van have known each other for years. The pair became friends in 2018 after attending Rolling Stone’s Criminal Justice Reform Summit as keynote speakers, and in the years since, Van has even appeared on KUWTK to talk about prison reform.
Even if Kim and Van aren’t an item, there are plenty of stars hoping to catch the KKW Beauty founder’s eye. “People are reaching out through mutual friends and people that she’s worked with to set her up with everyone from royal family members to A-list actors to athletes to billionaire CEOs,” an insider told Page Six on April 19. “She’s not looking to jump into anything but is keeping an open mind.”