Blac Chyna filed a defamation suit against her ex-fiancé Rob Kardashian and the Kardashian-Jenner family five years ago in 2017.
Chyna had accused Rob and his family of “slut-shaming her on social media” as well as planning the cancellation of her and Rob’s E! reality show, Rob & Chyna.
Over the years, they’ve been engaged in a fierce legal battle with both sides having filed hundreds of court documents in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
The trial finally began on Monday April 18. Here’s a look at Chyna and Rob’s relationship and how it soured, to the extent of the model filing a $100 million (£77m) lawsuit against the Kardashian family.
What happened between Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian?
(Image: Getty Images)
Rob and Chyna – born Angela Renée White – confirmed they were dating in January 2016, before getting engaged three months later.
Soon after, they announced they were expecting their first child together, with Chyna giving birth to daughter Dream in November that year.
The pair’s romance came to a swift end after the birth of their daughter, but they remained amicable for a few months following their split – until it all went south.
In July 2017, the relationship between the exes imploded after Rob took to Instagram sharing a video of Chyna kissing another man.
They went on to accuse each other of cheating, with Rob finally sharing a series of NSFW naked images, claimed to be of Chyna, who then filed a restraining order.
She was then granted a temporary restraining order, with Kardashian being ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from Chyna and asked not to any pictures of her, their daughter, Dream, or Chyna’s other son, Cairo.
Rob’s tirade against Chyna continued on Twitter – after his Instagram was disabled – with the Kardashian brother continuing to pile on the cheating allegations.
Later, things got even worse when he accused his ex of using drugs, saying: “I got receipts for days and when it comes to doing drugs and f**king dudes in the bed my daughter lays I don’t play.”
Chyna denied the allegations Rob made against her and according to TMZ, sources close to the reality star claim she is a “good mother who would never put her child in harm’s way.”
They also told the site that Chyna has “never done drugs in front of her children and only drinks on occasion when her kids are not around.”
Chyna made claims of her own in since-deleted Snapchat posts, writing that Rob physically abused her. She said: “Rob u did all this but u beat me up and try act it never happen !!!!! U put hand on me I swear on god !!!!! On my kids but I’m supposed to be quiet because you’re a Kardashian.”
In a 2018 legal filing, Rob denied every allegation Chyna made against him, insisting that Chyna was never “harmed in any way by [him], or at all.”
Timeline of legal battles between Chyna and Rob
(Image: Getty Images for MTV)
By late 2017, Rob and Chyna’s volatile relationship had become a legal battle, with Chyna filing a $100 million lawsuit in October against her ex for assault, battery and harassment, as well as against his family for defamation.
She claimed the “Kardashian-Jenner family became media predators, slut-shaming her on social media and killing her hit television show.”
In a statement to ET and just days before the trial, the Kardashian’s family attorney, Michael Rhodes, addressed the allegations saying: “We aren’t going to sully the process by responding to slanderous nonsense.”
Documents submitted to the court also alleged: “The unwritten rule no one told [Blac Chyna] when she embarked on a relationship with Mr Kardashian is: the entire family takes it personally if you leave and will come after you, using their fame, wealth and power to take you down.”
Chyna claimed that Rob & Chyna was set to be renewed for a second season after delivering impressive ratings for the show’s six-episode run.
However in March, the E! network announced they would not be filming another season of the reality series.
Chyna alleged that this was done to ensure “that the E! network had room in its schedule for Kylie Jenner to star in her own show, in which she heavily promoted Kylie Cosmetics, which was once in direct competition with LASHED by Blac Chyna”. This is an allegation and has not been confirmed.
As for the assault and battery allegations, Chyna claimed Rob was “verbally abusive” and “physically violent” during their relationship.
In one alleged incident in April 2017, Chyna claimed Rob “knocked her to the ground where she landed on her hands and knees.”
The incident is claimed to have occurred in front of Chyna’s then-four-year-old son King Cairo – whom she shares with ex rapper Tyga.
Chyna allegedly locked herself in her bedroom, and it’s claimed that Rob “lost all control and tore the hinges off of [her] bedroom door”, even ransacking her closet after. Rob has denied these allegations.
Rob had also filed a lawsuit – along with sister Kylie Jenner – accusing Chyna of attempting to choke him with an iPhone cord during an intense fight at one of Kylie’s homes. But he withdrew this lawsuit in February.
He told ET : “My love for Dream far outweighs my desire to proceed with my claims against her mother in a public trial.”
The Kardashians spoke of the legal battle during the Keeping Up With The Kardashians reunion special.
Khloe Kardashian said: “We can only imagine how hard that is for him, and I know he feels really guilty about that, so none of us ever make him feel bad about it,” adding they would “always respect” Chyna’s position as Dream’s mother.
What to expect from the Chyna-Kardashian trial?
On April 18, jury selection for the Chyna-Kardashian trial began and is expected to last approximately two weeks.
Several members of the Kardashian-Jenner family, including Rob, Kim, Khloe, Kris, Kylie and Kris’ boyfriend Corey Gamble, will be called to the witness stand.
Ryan Seacrest, who is behind Keeping Up With The Kardashians and its spinoffs, is also expected to testify, as will a number of former E! executives and Bunim Murray Productions, the company behind the Kardashian shows.
Kris is listed as an “adverse witness,” meaning she will be considered a hostile witness by Chyna’s legal team.
Days before the trial, the Kardashian’s family attorney, Michael Rhodes told ET: “We aren’t going to sully the process by responding to slanderous nonsense,”
According to CBS News, Rhodes told the judge that the Kardashians made a settlement offer earlier this week that was rejected by Chyna.
Meanwhile, Chyna’s attorney Lynne Ciani said: “The defendants’ illegal conduct not only cost Chyna millions and millions of dollars, [but] their conduct was emotionally devastating to her. Chyna will appear in court to testify and to personally witness the entire trial, from start to finish.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
