Kim Kardashian reportedly files docs to be legally single and drop West from name, hours after Kanye asks for her back
Kim Kardashian West wants to be a single woman — and drop "West" from her name.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashian star, 41, reportedly filed paperwork on Friday, asking a judge in her divorce case to declare her a legally single woman. The move comes hours after the rapper formerly known as Kanye West publicly asked for her back (again).
According to TMZ, Kardashian wants the judge to separate issues of child custody and property from marital status. It's a move her high-powered attorney, Laura Wasser, has done with other celebrity clients. The Skims founder also asked that her maiden name be restored. A source confirms the report to E! News.
Kardashian supported her estranged husband, who now goes by Ye, on Thursday night. During his "Free Larry Hover" benefit concert with Drake, Ye declared his love for the reality star while performing "Runaway."
"I need you to run right back to me," the 44-year-old sang. "More specifically, Kimberly."
So why might Kardashian take this legal step?
"By asking to be named single, this expedites the divorce somewhat so they don't have to wait on the lawyers to haggle things out," attorney Peter Stambleck, partner of NYC-based Aronson Mayefsky & Sloan, tells Yahoo Entertainment. "If the judge grants her request, Kim and Kanye will be officially divorced despite the fact that the terms of the divorce still need to be ironed out. It's called a bifurcation. Considering the incredible wealth of the couple, it could take many more months before all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed."
Requests like Kardashian's are typically granted by California judges, according to Stambleck.
"The bad news is it could take many months and such requests come attached with numerous conditions involving matters like pension plans, trusts, health insurance and a lot more. All of this has to be negotiated by Kim and Kanye's heavyweight celebrity divorce lawyers," he adds.
"Kim and her advisors obviously feel there are benefits to being single. She — and Kanye for that matter — can marry again and file individual taxes, for example," Stambleck concludes. "There are real consequences to ending the marriage and Kim’s latest filing makes clear she has no desire to reconcile with Kanye."
Kardashian seems to have moved on romantically... with Pete Davidson.
After the KKW Beauty mogul, who kissed Davidson during her Oct. 9 SNL, has been photographed holding hands with the comedian twice in the last two months. They are "having fun together," a source previously told Yahoo Entertainment.
"I guess it happened kind of fast," Davidson's SNL co-star, Kenan Thompson, said earlier this week. "But I don't really know their business outside of what everybody else is reading. ... If they're happy, I'm happy."
It remains to be seen if Kardashian's move has anything to do with her rumored new boyfriend.
WATCH: Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are officially dating
