Kim Kardashian hasn’t been the one to keep her private life out of the public eye, but in her case, the reality TV star and business mogul has been particularly selective about what she shows the world when it comes to Lewis Hamilton and his Formula 1 career. Over the last week, that measured demeanor appeared to thaw a little as the 45-year-old mother of four shared a behind-the-scenes look at her family’s summer vacation, which featured her kids, her sister Khloé and her long-time boyfriend/now husband.
On Friday, July 31, the SKIMS founder posted a simple caption, ‘Summering’ on Instagram, comprising a series of clips that captured different moments of what seemed like a perfect lakeside getaway. The montage of the video had Kardashian participating in common summer activities with her three youngest children, Saint, 10, Chicago, 8 and Psalm, 7. She also saw her niece, 14-year-old Penelope Disick, and sister, Khloé Kardashian, who made it a family affair. The post was a polished yet spontaneous look, which was quintessential Kardashian, but there was one shot that was sure to spark interest and conversation from fans and media.
The highlight of the evening was a fun moment when Kim was seen playing with Lewis Hamilton. The couple were photographed together, seemingly in jocular banter, before they both went swimming. The scenes in the video indicated a familiarity and ease between them that indicated they had progressed beyond the initial dating phase. The two of them were watching each other, and it was impossible to not see how relaxed and unpretentious they were at the moment, compared to their more deliberate public displays this past few months.
Kardashian’s video was by no means the first showing of Hamilton in her social media feed—but it was a pretty big leap in how open she was going to be about the relationship. She had posted another sweet photo of the two together with one of her children earlier and it was believed that they were getting serious. But the lake vacations shoot had a different vibe to it, it was more relaxed, more real and ultimately more revealing of the true rapport that appears to have taken hold between the reality star and the seven-time world champion.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton’s romance first came into the public eye when the two were seen together at a party at Aspen earlier this year on New Year’s Eve. Both camps were still being known for being “tight-lipped” and it was up to the rumour mill to develop its own theories. They were seen together in Paris in February and there have been further sightings in Japan and New York City, but the speculation did not end there. Every public appearance brought a bit more credibility to the dating rumors, although neither Kardashian nor Hamilton took a direct shot at their relationship at first.
When the couple appeared together at the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Monaco in June, it was only a matter of when, rather than if, the two were together. Kardashian was on hand to cheer on Hamilton and the cameras were present to witness what amounted to sweet moments of public affection trackside. Hamilton came in second in the race and seemed to have a relationship of real support and respect during the post-race interactions. Kardashian’s marriage to Kanye West had been a spectacle for the media, and this new one seemed to be handled with a mix of openness and privacy.
The most significant shift, perhaps, was when Hamilton gave an unusual outburst about Kardashian in an interview. He didn’t say much, but what he did say was enough to make headlines for him, who likes to keep his personal life private. His response of sharing even a little insight into his emotions indicated that this connection was not just an instant thing but one that was worthy of agreement and, to a degree, conversation.
The couple’s growing openness to being seen together and the lake holiday video raise some intriguing questions about how they are managing their personal image and the challenges of each individual’s public image. This is because Kardashian has created an empire out of her ability to curate and share her life, but she has also been mindful of protecting her children from the media spotlight in recent years. Hamilton, in turn, has lately been more vocal about social issues and his own life, but he has kept his romantic life relatively close to the chest. Their relationship is an interesting one because it’s a combination of two really different star paths.
On the other hand, the relationship provides Kardashian with someone who lives in a completely different universe to hers, within the world of reality TV and fashion. Hamilton’s Formula 1 career has put him on the international stage where he is held in high regard and receives much attention – but not in uniform time. Hamilton, however, has a partner who shares in the frenzied spotlight and has faced the struggles of maintaining a business empire and co-parenting, while still being a cultural fixture.
The vacations were to highlight the importance of family and quality time during the summer months. Kardashian has been vocal about her devotion to her children and her efforts to provide them with a normal childhood with so unusual a life. The posting of Hamilton added to the family moments implies he’s becoming part of that world, which should not be overlooked, in light of Kardashian’s protective nature around who she brings into her kids’ lives.
