Kanye West Labelled 'Absentee Dad' After Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton Take Tokyo by Storm with Kids

Kanye West was branded an 'absentee dad' in Los Angeles this week after insiders claimed he flew into a rage when photos emerged of Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton taking her children on a high-profile, family-style holiday in Tokyo.

The backlash began after Kardashian, 45, was pictured in Japan with three of the four children she shares with West, alongside the Formula One star, 41. The Tokyo trip, which reportedly included Saint, 10, Chicago, 9, and Psalm, 6, but not eldest daughter North, 12, has been interpreted by people close to the pair as a sign that Kardashian and Hamilton's relationship is more than a fleeting romance, and that West, 48, is struggling to accept it, according to US outlet Star Magazine

Tokyo Trip With Kids That 'Set' Kanye West Off

According to one source quoted in the original report, West had assumed Kardashian's connection with Hamilton would burn out quickly. The insider said West believed it would be a 'fling' but now sees that 'they're going to be a lot more'. It is that sense of permanence, the source suggested, that has aggravated him.

The claims emerged after images surfaced of Kardashian and Hamilton in Tokyo, posing with her children in what looked to many observers like a blended-family outing. One insider said 'the sight of Kim and Lewis posing with his kids like a big happy family really set him off', describing West as especially sensitive to how, and with whom, his children are seen in public.

West and Kardashian separated more than five years ago and have both moved on. West married Bianca Censori in 2022, while Kardashian has kept her romantic life relatively private since the divorce, though she has not denied being close to Hamilton. Neither side has confirmed a formal relationship, so any claims about labels or long-term plans remain speculative.

What is not in dispute is West's long-running frustration over custody and access. In an interview last year, he complained that he did not have what he viewed as equal time with his children, saying: 'I don't [have]... at least fifty-fifty with my kids. So, how's it joint custody?' That line has become shorthand among his supporters for what they regard as an imbalance in the co-parenting arrangement.

'Absentee Dad' Claims Collide With Kanye's Public Complaints

Kardashian has pushed back on that narrative, insisting that West is not being blocked from seeing his children. Speaking last autumn on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she said: 'Every time he has asked, I will always let them see their father. That's just who I am.' Her side of the story is that access is available, and that West's distance from the children is more about his choices than any restrictions imposed by her.

The unnamed source quoted in the report echoed that view in sharper terms, calling West's latest outburst 'ultimately a load of hot air' and insisting 'Kim's done nothing wrong, and he's proven himself to be an absentee dad for quite some time'. That accusation goes to the heart of his public image. West has often portrayed himself as a father fighting to remain close to his children, but people around Kardashian argue that his involvement has been sporadic.

Sources close to the situation say there is a pattern. When Kardashian is seen with a new partner or male friend around the children, West is said to react strongly, online or in private, seeing it as a slight against him or a threat to his role as a father. The Tokyo photos with Hamilton appear to have triggered a similar response, though Kardashian has not commented publicly on his reported anger.

There has been no public response from West's representatives to the 'absentee dad' label. Censori has also remained silent in public, leaving sources to sketch out how his behaviour is affecting their marriage.

How Kanye West's Anger Is Playing At Home

If the insider accounts are accurate, West's reaction to the Tokyo trip is not only straining his co-parenting relationship with Kardashian but also creating tension with Censori. The source described his latest tantrum as 'a massive turn-off' for the 31-year-old, suggesting she is weary of the cycle of anger, complaints and public drama that tends to follow any development in Kardashian's private life.

The same source added: 'What Kanye doesn't seem to grasp is that all his ranting and raving only makes things worse for him.' The implication is that every emotional flare-up feeds the perception that he is unstable, controlling, or more focused on grievances than on quietly building a consistent presence in his children's daily lives.

None of this has been publicly confirmed by West or Censori, and without direct comment their private conversations and reactions remain second-hand.

The Tokyo trip with Hamilton has drawn renewed attention to the former couple's co‑parenting arrangements, including decisions about travel, custody and day‑to‑day involvement in their children's lives.