Reasons Lamar Odom’s Children Didn’t Attend Khloe Kardashian’s Wedding
Lamar Odom’s children have opened up about their complicated relationship and reflected on the time he spent married to Khloé Kardashian.
Destiny, 27, and Lamar “LJ” Odom Jr., 23, children of Odom, 46, and his ex Liza Morales, shared insights about their father in Netflix’s Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom. They made their initial appearance when Odom discussed marrying Kardashian in 2009, which did not sit well with everyone around him.
“My babies’ mother didn’t allow them to attend my wedding,” Odom disclosed in the documentary that aired on Tuesday, March 31.
LJ noted in his confessional that he “never even met” Kardashian. He wasn’t informed about the wedding, while Destiny mentioned she chose not to attend because she “didn’t want to be a show pony” with the event being filmed for Kardashian’s reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
“If you want to get married in front of hundreds of people and all these cameras, that’s perfectly fine. It’s your decision. Of course, marrying someone in just 30 days is going to sting,” Morales, 46, who was with Odom from 1996 to 2008, reflected. “And to top it off, it’s going to be broadcast on television.”
Odom’s aunt added that he “didn’t invite” any family members to the wedding except his childhood best friend, Pumpkin.
“I ended up attending the wedding that night, and he talked to me for two hours. He was explaining the move he was making. He was doing it to secure a better future,” Pumpkin remembered, noting that the guest list was filled with “60 to 70 year olds” who could provide valuable connections to Odom.
Even though they were absent from Odom’s significant day, LJ expressed his fondness for when his dad was with the famous family, stating, “When he was married to Khloé, I looked forward to Christmas because I knew Kris Jenner and Khloé would give me amazing gifts.”
Destiny and LJ’s distance from their father grew as his struggles with addiction worsened. They recounted an occasion when they planned to attend a parade with the Lakers player, only for Odom to blow them off.
“Rejection from a parent is incredibly painful and damaging. It undeniably affects your growth as you mature,” Destiny explained. “There are moments you never forget. Now I understand that he was partying and using [drugs].”
Odom, however, didn’t recall the incident.
“When you’re using drugs, there’s always going to be shame,” he stated. “I’m certain there are many stories I can’t remember due to my state at that point in my life. Some people use drugs and experience a splendid 15-minute high and can wait to do it again. For others, it unlocks something uncontrollable.”
Another layer to their relationship with Odom and Kardashian emerged when they discussed his 2015 overdose. (Odom was left comatose after an overdose at a legal brothel in Crystal, Nevada, which resulted in six heart attacks and 12 strokes, challenging him to regain his ability to walk and talk.)
Odom’s family accused Kardashian of barring them from seeing him in the hospital and requiring them to sign NDAs. Kardashian, on the other hand, maintained that after some drug dealers attempted to enter Odom’s room, she had to implement “filters” for visitors to the hospital.
Post-recovery, Destiny was upset to see Odom out and about in Los Angeles but not visiting his children.
“He was on this redemption tour, flitting around L.A. and going to events but never came to rehab,” Destiny remarked. “It was as if his coma experience never happened. I thought, ‘You didn’t even come to see me.’”
The documentary wrapped up with Odom spending quality time with his son, LJ, while there was no footage of him with Destiny, leaving their current relationship status ambiguous.
“As much as he has transformed over the past few years, I feel sometimes he needs a little steering back on course,” LJ added. “It feels like you’re the parrot and he’s the son. We all have some growing up to do, but he has a lot of it ahead of him.”
Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom is now available for streaming on Netflix.
