On October 17th, it was announced that reality star Kourtney Kardashian and former drummer from Blink-182 Travis Barker were officially engaged— after almost a year of dating. The engagement was announced through social media, after Kourtney Kardashian posted a photo of her looking up at the camera, showcasing a black manicure and a new ring. Travis Barker, 45, proposed to the Kardashian at a beachside hotel earlier this month— using a large arrangement of roses and candles to set the mood prior to the proposal. The ring was designed by jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz, and according to Kourtney’s friends, the engagement came as a complete surprise. “Travis told her family that he planned to propose, but everyone was great at keeping it secret,” an unnamed family friend told People magazine. “It was a complete surprise for Kourtney.”
For many, the star studded pairing felt like an odd duo. Kourtney Kardashian is best known for her time on the reality television show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which follows the upscale lives of Kourtney and her family and friends as they navigate their fame and the limelight that surrounds the family. Conversely, Travis Barker rose to fame with the early 2000s pop-punk group Blink-182, which was best known for albums such as Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001), and songs such as “What’s My Age Again?” which was accompanied by a music video in which Travis Barker and his bandmates ran naked through the streets of LA. For many, the pair seemed like complete opposites and thus, the engagement seemed completely random.
However, for those familiar with the pair, the engagement was less random than it appeared. In fact, Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian have actually been friends for over 15 years, after meeting back in 2006 while Travis was dating Paris Hilton and Kourtney’s sister, Kim, was working as Paris Hilton’s assistant/ closet organizer. The pair also share other things in common. Travis Barker actually starred in his own reality TV show, which was called Meet the Barkers and ran from 2005 to 2007. Like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Meet the Barkers was a family oriented show that gave viewers a glimpse into the personal and private lives of its subjects. Travis actually encouraged the Kardashians to produce their own show after Kim brought the idea to him.
Beyond all of this, Kourtney and Travis have both had similar experiences with their relationships breaking down during the filming of their reality shows. Travis Barker’s relationship with his wife began deteriorating on camera during their show, which led to the end of Meet the Barkers, as well as the end of his marriage to Shanna Moakler. More famously, the highs and lows of Kourtney’s relationship with long time on and off boyfriend, and the father of her children, Scott Disick, played out on camera for years before Kourtney officially called it quits back in 2015. And while the jury’s out on Kourtney’s new relationship, fans seem to all be in agreement that Travis Barker is already treating her better than Scott ever did. Although Scott never seemed to set the bar very high at all.
