HEALTHKim Kardashian Experiences Health Scare Linked to Her Father's Death in New Trailer for 'The Kardashians'
Kim Kardashian revealed she has esophagitis in ‘The Kardashians’ Season 8 trailer.
Sept. 18 2026, Published 5:12 a.m. ET
Kim Kardashian has revealed a health scare that brought back memories of her late father, Robert Kardashian Sr.
In the newly released trailer for Season 8 of The Kardashians, Kim said she has “something called esophagitis,” which causes inflammation and irritation of the esophagus.
But her diagnosis becomes even more difficult to process because of what happened to her father.
Kim Kardashian was seen in a hospital bed after revealing her diagnosis.
Kim Kardashian Revealed Her Esophagitis Diagnosis
Kris Jenner said Kim Kardashian’s health scare makes her 'want to cry.'
In one scene, Kim is lying in a hospital bed when someone off-camera asks, “Didn’t your father — isn’t that what he died of?”
The camera then cuts to Kris Jenner, who looks emotional as she talks about the moment.
“I can’t. It makes me want to cry,” Kris said.
Robert Kardashian Sr. died from esophageal cancer in 2003 at age 59.
Robert died from esophageal cancer on September 30, 2003. He was 59.
The lawyer was also famously part of O.J. Simpson’s defense team during his 1995 murder trial.
Kim was almost 23 when her father died.
His illness came as a shock to the family, with Robert being diagnosed just eight weeks before his death.
“Of course I wish he saw our life right now,” the fashion mogul said in a 2024 interview on This Life of Mine With James Corden.
“Of course I wish he was there to study with me and see my kids grow up and everything," she continued.
“But that’s not our reality, so I’m not going to get stuck in that place of what could’ve been but just be so grateful for what I have,” she added.
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Kim Kardashian’s Esophagitis Is Not the Same as Esophageal Cancer
Kim Kardashian wished Robert Kardashian Sr. could see her life today.
Kim’s diagnosis, however, is not the same as the cancer her father had.
Esophagitis simply refers to a “swelling and irritation, called inflammation, of the tissues that line the esophagus. The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food and drink from the mouth to the stomach," per Mayo Clinic.
The trailer doesn’t explain what caused the SKIMS founder's esophagitis or give much detail about her condition.
She is also shown crying in another scene, suggesting the situation was difficult for her.
'The Kardashians' Season 8 is set to premiere October 8 on Hulu.
Robert’s death has continued to shape the family’s connection to esophageal health.
In 2019, Kim, Kris and other members of the Kardashian-Jenner family helped open the UCLA Robert G. Kardashian Center for Esophageal Health in Los Angeles.
“There’s a few things in life that my dad would be really proud of us for and this is definitely one of them,” she said.
“We weren’t able to save his life with this new technology and with the access to these doctors, but now we can help save other people’s lives,” Kim added.
