Red Flags In Kourtney Kardashian And Travis Barker's Marriage From Our Relationship Expert

If one Hollywood couple comes to mind when someone mentions the power PDA dating trend, it's undoubtedly reality star and Poosh queen Kourtney Kardashian and her husband, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. But while the couple seems to be trying really hard to make everyone believe that they're constantly in the honeymoon phase, our relationship expert sees right through it.

In an exclusive conversation with Glam, Susan Winter, the bestselling author of "Breakup Triage: The Cure for Heartache," shares some potential red flags in Kardashian and Barker's marriage. Winter explains that there might be problems they could not only face in the future but also might already be facing behind closed doors.

In fact, a source told Life & Style in 2023 that the rest of the Kardashians aren't too fond of Barker. "While there's been tension for years, the heart of the matter is the family doesn't really like Travis," the source said. "Some of them tolerate him more than others, and some are less outspoken, but they all share an opinion that Kourtney is not the same person since getting together with Travis, and they don't like it." Now, here's what Winter has to say about the famous couple.

A common red flag that many celebrities face in their relationships is public scrutiny. "Constant press intrusion is something all celebs face, but the Kardashians are headliners and ripe for media fodder," Susan Winter shares exclusively with Glam. "Travis is now in the fold."

While Kardashian and Barker certainly allow for a lot of press intrusion to happen, it's undoubtedly difficult to deal with it when they're going through a rough time. And as our expert points out, the press is usually especially interested in anything controversial. "Whenever the press gets bored with a happy couple, they hunt for any fragment of conflict," Winter tells us. "If there's a crack in their relationship foundation, the press will certainly find it and utilize it to their advantage." However, even though being so open with their relationship comes with potential problems, the reality star and musician seem to be dealing with the pressures of it just fine so far.

While there's no "right" timeline that fits everyone, many believe that Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker may have rushed their relationship. The stars were first spotted together in January 2021, and in October of the same year, they got engaged. Six months later — in April 2022 — the two tied the knot in an unofficial Las Vegas ceremony, followed by them getting legally married in May 2022, after which they had their glamorous wedding ceremony in Portofino, Italy. "Kourtney and Travis's marriage has been criticized for being impulsive, even though they were engaged for a year before tying the knot," Susan Winter tells us exclusively. "Admittedly, they knew each other previously as friends and neighbors, which creates a stronger foundation for romance to blossom. But despite the longevity of their association, speculation remains."

Apart from getting married in a little over a year, the world was surprised to learn that the two weren't living together. Again, there's no right or wrong time for this — knowing if you are ready to move in with your partner is very personal — but the fact that Kardashian and Barker lived in separate homes seemed to starkly contrast their PDA. "The issue of moving too fast continues to challenge the couple, highlighted by the fact that they lived separately for two years after being married," the expert adds. "Was that their internal adjustment to the rapid pace of friends to lovers to spouses?" As an explanation for their decision not to move in together immediately after their wedding, Kourtney said in a 2022 episode of the "Not Skinny but Not Fat" podcast, "I think we're in the place where we're figuring out how to blend our households and our kids."

While most of us will never understand the impact that fans actually have on celebrities, there's no denying that the rich and famous do care what all of us say, especially if people are saying the same thing. And for a couple like Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, this could become a big red flag.

"Both Travis and Kourtney's careers are fan-based. Both have audiences that carry sway with their opinions and fluctuating devotion," Susan Winter explains exclusively to Glam. "Many of Kourtney's fans claim Travis is controlling, citing the naming of their son to how she dresses. This adds tension to a new marriage with children." For now, the noise they've been hearing hasn't seemed to affect them (at least not in a publicly known way), but the power that fans have in celebrity relationships shouldn't be underestimated.

When it comes to PDA, it's important to know how much is too much and when to draw the line, but Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker haven't really gotten that memo. "Fans have expressed being uncomfortable with the couple's excessive PDAs," Susan Winter tells us exclusively. "This adds speculation to their over-the-top promotion of being a blissfully 'happy couple.' Hopefully, this is true, but it also leads their fans and the press to wonder about the reasons behind such a 'hard sell.'"

Kardashian talked about the excessive PDA with Elle, admitting that Barker got her into it. "I think that Travis looks at life in a really special way," the reality star revealed. "I can get more shy, but like, it's helped me so much to be present and pretend like no one else is there. ... It's a really cool thing. And it really helps me stay in the present and like focus on what's important," she added. While it's difficult to say whether all of their PDA moments are genuine, if some of them are for show, this could indicate that part of their relationship is exaggerated for the public.

Having exes doesn't have to be a red flag, but for Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, it certainly seems like one. Both of the stars have children from previous relationships — Kardashian with reality star and socialite Scott Disick and Barker with model and beauty pageant queen Shanna Moakler. This, of course, wouldn't be problematic if it didn't seem like there was tension between all of them.

"Lingering tensions between Scott Disick and Travis Barker have hindered the creation of a harmonious blended family," Susan Winter tells us exclusively. "While Scott is reportedly sober now, the intentional distance between him, Kourtney, and Travis remains evident. Fans and the press have frequently stated this as a significant red flag in Kourtney's marriage." 

Besides the couple's problems with Disick, Moakler has also been open about how she feels about her ex. "When Travis got with Kourtney, there was some parental alienation going on there, where Travis — even when we weren't together — always wanted to be the 'super dad,'" she said in a January 2024 episode of Bunnie Xo's "Dumb Blonde" podcast. Of course, having a bad relationship with an ex — even one you share children with — isn't unheard of, but in Kardashian and Barker's case, there's no denying that their exes add some additional pressure to their romance.