<p id=”par-1_59″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/kanye-west/?swcfpc=1″>Kanye “Ye” West</a> continues to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/bianca-censori-believes-kanye-wests-antics-will-pass-source-says.html/”>make headlines due to his mysterious relationship</a> with his wife, Bianca Censori. <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/kanye-wests-wedding-bianca-censori-opposite-of-kim-kardashians-according-source.html/”>Censori and West secretly tied the knot in 2022</a>, just months after West and Kim Kardashian divorced. Now, we’re taking a look at West’s past relationship with actor Brooke Crittendon. Here’s what Crittendon said about West’s insecurities when on stage without her.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-kanye-west-s-ex-brooke-crittendon-described-west-s-insecurities”>Kanye West’s ex, Brooke Crittendon, described West’s insecurities</h2>
<p id=”par-2_68″>Kanye “Ye” West seems sure of himself in 2025, especially after causing a scene at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards and with his rants on X. However, actor Brooke Crittendon once explained how West’s demeanor was different when they dated. Crittendon and West met in 2005 and dated for over a year. She worked as a production assistant for MTV when she met him at a gig. </p>
<p id=”par-3_28″>“He was not macho,” Crittendon told <a href=”https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/13544552/kanye-west-divorce-bianca-censori-girlfriends/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Sun</a> several years after they dated. “He needed you to be with him and needed your opinion. He was quite vulnerable.”</p>
<p id=”par-4_41″>“He was insecure, as he couldn’t be with me every day,” she continued. “I got the impression he worried he wasn’t good enough for me. He needs people to tell him he is good and that he is needed and wanted.”</p>
<p id=”par-5_32″>Crittendon added that West “wouldn’t start his show” unless she was visible at the side of the stage. “One night, the show was delayed because he couldn’t find me,” she continued. </p>
<p id=”par-6_54″>West and Crittendon went their separate ways nearly two decades ago. She explained to <a href=”https://www.essence.com/news/brooke-crittendon-of-harlem-heights-im-s/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Essence</a> in 2020 how she wanted a new legacy that wasn’t “Kanye’s ex-girl,” as she knew she was “so much bigger” than that title. As far as Crittendon and West go, she told the publication that they remained “amicable.” </p>
<p id=”par-7_43″>“Yes, Mr. West and I are amicable,” she said at the time. “I wish him the best, and he wishes me likewise. As far as I’m concerned, if he ever needed anything I’d be there, and [he would do] the same for me.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-brooke-crittendon-once-said-kim-kardashian-fit-in-with-kanye-west-s-brand”>Brooke Crittendon once said Kim Kardashian ‘fit in’ with Kanye West’s ‘brand’</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Kanye-West-Kim-Kardashian.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West posing at the Met Gala in 2019″ class=”wp-image-3776208″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp | Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue</figcaption></figure>
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<p id=”par-8_47″>Brooke Crittendon and Kanye West didn’t work out. And neither did Kim Kardashian and West. Kardashian and West tied the knot in May 2014 and have four children together. They finalized their divorce in March 2022, and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/kanye-west-bianca-censori-prenup.html/”>West married Bianca Censori</a> just a few months later. </p>
<p id=”par-9_20″>Crittendon spoke to The Huffington Post about how Kardashian perfectly “fits” into West’s “brand,” so their relationship made perfect sense.</p>
<p id=”par-10_58″>“Which other person besides Kim Kardashian is there for Kanye? There’s Halle Berry, J.Lo, and Beyoncé, but they are all taken,” Crittendon said, according to <a href=”https://tribune.com.pk/story/497497/ex-says-kim-kardashian-%E2%80%98fits-into%E2%80%99-kanye-west%E2%80%99s-brand” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Express Tribune</a>. “Kim fits into his brand. Part of being untouchable is having what others want. It’s about saying, ‘Everybody wants her and she wants me.’ That makes sense in Kanye’s world.”</p>
<p id=”par-11_36″>While Kardashian didn’t seem to have an issue with West’s fame, Crittendon struggled. She told The Sun that West received “a lot of attention from other women,” and she was “never OK being one of many.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-harlem-heights-actor-said-she-lived-under-her-famous-boyfriend-s-shadow”>The ‘Harlem Heights’ actor said she lived ‘under’ her famous boyfriend’s ‘shadow’</h2>
<p id=”par-12_30″>Brooke Crittendon has made a name for herself outside of Kanye West. However, in reflection with Essence, she discussed how it was difficult to get out from “under” West’s “shadow.”</p>
<p id=”par-13_67″>“As far as keeping up with the Joneses, that was never my motivation, but I was with a celebrity and had to live under his shadow, and the attention was on him,” she said. “As a result, people put labels on me. I didn’t have a platform because they weren’t interested in me. I always had to play the background yet people formulated opinions about me ….”</p>
<p id=”par-14_26″>West’s marriage to Bianca Censori is now under the microscope as <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/kanye-west-denies-bianca-censori-divorce-reports.html/”>divorce rumors swirl</a>. We’re curious to know what Crittendon thinks of the controversial match. </p>
<p id=”par-15_13″><em>For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, follow </em><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/showbizcheatsheet/”><em>Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram</em></a>.</p>