Kim Kardashian is opening up about a health scare that hits especially close to home. The family lost their patriarch, Robert Kardashian, in 2004 to esophageal cancer, and the billionaire recently got a scary diagnosis.
In the new Season 8 trailer for The Kardashians, the SKIMS founder reveals that she has been diagnosed with esophagitis, a condition involving inflammation and irritation of the esophagus.
“I have something called esophagitis,” Kim says in the trailer while getting her hair and makeup done. The moment takes a more serious turn when someone off-camera asks, “Didn’t your father … isn’t it what he died of?” “Yeah,” Kim responds.
The trailer then cuts to Kim in a hospital bed, including footage that appears to show her being wheeled into a procedure.
Her mom, Kris Jenner, is also visibly emotional as she addresses what is happening. “I can’t, it makes me want to cry,” the momager says.
What is esophagitis?
Esophagitis is inflammation of the tissue lining the esophagus, the tube that carries food and liquid from the mouth to the stomach.
According to the Mayo Clinic, it can have several causes, including stomach acid backing up into the esophagus, certain medications, infections, and allergies. Symptoms can include painful or difficult swallowing and chest pain.
The condition is not the same as esophageal cancer, and Kim has not publicly said that she has cancer. The Season 8 trailer also does not reveal what caused her esophagitis or how severe it is.
In some cases, however, untreated inflammation can cause damage to the esophagus. The Mayo Clinic notes that esophagitis can lead to Barrett’s esophagus, a change in the esophageal lining associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer.
Importantly, having Barrett’s esophagus does not mean someone will develop cancer; the Mayo Clinic notes that most people with Barrett’s do not.
Kim Kardashian’s father died of esophageal cancer
© Ron GalellaThe diagnosis carries a deeply personal connection to the Kardashian family history.
Robert died from esophageal cancer on Sept. 30, 2003, at the age of 59. The prominent attorney, who was part of O.J. Simpson’s defense team, had been diagnosed with the disease only months before his death.
His death had a lasting impact on the Kardashian family. In a 2025 episode of her podcast, Khloé Kardashian reflected on her father’s illness: “My dad died really quickly,” Khloé wrote. “He had esophageal cancer, and I think he died six or seven weeks after diagnosis.”
“I don’t think he could accept that it was terminal, but he never used those words with us,” she continued.
Robert’s legacy has also remained closely tied to esophageal health for the family. In 2019, the Kardashian family helped establish the Robert G. Kardashian Center for Esophageal Health at UCLA, which focuses on research, treatment, and education surrounding diseases of the esophagus.
Kim’s health scare will play out on Season 8
© Backgrid UK/The Grosby GroupThe trailer doesn’t reveal exactly what treatment Kim undergoes or what ultimately happens with her diagnosis, leaving those details for the upcoming season.
This also isn’t the first time Kim has brought a health scare to The Kardashians. In the show’s previous season, she documented learning that she had a brain aneurysm, which doctors later determined was not a serious health threat.
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