Kim Kardashian recalls devastating moment Robert Kardashian was diagnosed

Kim Kardashian had always been close with her late father Robert Kardashian, so discovering his esophageal cancer diagnosis came as a devastating blow. In a recent interview with GQ magazine, where Kim was named "Man of the Year" for her SKIMS line, she recounted how she learned of his condition.

While dining out as a family at their favorite Armenian restaurant, Robert struggled to swallow his food and seemed unwell. At the hospital, the doctor broke the tragic news to Kim and her sister Kourtney - Robert's cancer was terminal. Shocked, the sisters looked to each other in disbelief.

Robert opted not to tell his own parents of the dire diagnosis, not wanting to burden them. However, Kim took it upon herself to inform her grandparents in Palm Springs. “I called them, and they were, like, ‘What? What are you talking about? We’ll be there in a few hours,” Kim recalled. “They came up from Palm Springs, and [their son, my dad] was in bed. Can you imagine? They were close, and to not tell them. My grandmother was never the same again.”

Rob died of the affliction in September of the same year and the Kardashians went on to establish the Robert G. Kardashian Center For Esophageal Health at UCLA in 2020. The center is focused on providing screenings and early detection to help prolong patient’s lives.