"They just don't leave" - Khloe Kardashian seemingly uninterested in reuniting with Tristan Thompson despite his cheeky efforts

Khloe Kardashian and Cleveland Cavaliers veteran Tristan Thompson have been separated since 2023. The 2016 NBA champion reportedly cheated on the reality TV star multiple times, even after the birth of one of their children, according to PEOPLE.

In the season 5 premiere of The Kardashians, the 39-year-old said she's trying hard not to give Thompson any hope of reconciliation. During the first episode of the season, a joke made by Thompson came up, which suggested building a tunnel connecting their houses. However, she rejected the idea immediately.

"Come on, you know where I stand," Khloe said on May 23 (via People.com). "Sometimes I hate how much I have to think and be on guard to not do anything that might ever give a glimmer that there's hope. They just don't leave even when you ask them to. They just keep staying!"

Kardashian spoke about enduring the time they spent together:

"I feel like the past couple years have been — I don't know if traumatic is too big of a word — but I feel like the past couple years, or maybe the past decade, has really been a very heavy time in my life and I don't necessarily get a lot of time to just like, heal."

Moreover, she expressed her relief to see Tristan Thompson leaving Los Angeles to return to Cleveland. He played for the Cavaliers this season, even being suspended for violating the NBA's anti-drug program.

"The move in and all of these changes was still just so overwhelming for me," she said. "Now that he's going to Cleveland, I can imagine I'll just feel a relief. I don't care who it is, I need space."

Khloe Kardashian was spotted watching Tristan Thompson during the playoffs

Despite their separation since June 2023, Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson have kept a civil relationship, as reported by Today. They continue to co-parent their two children, with Kardashian emphasizing that she has put 'everything on the side' for the children's sake. Case in point: On May 14, she was spotted watching the Cleveland Cavaliers face off against the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

The Cavs ultimately lost the series 4-1, leading to the firing of JB Bickerstaff after five years with the team. Tristan Thompson, who signed a one-year deal with the Cavaliers in September, faces uncertainty regarding his future with the team after this season.