Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time Formula 1 world champion. Finishing sixth is not something his fans are accustomed to processing quietly. When that result came out of his most recent race in Tokyo, the reaction was swift, and according to an unverified report from RadarOnline citing an anonymous source, some of that reaction landed squarely on Kim Kardashian.
The claim, and it is worth repeating that this is an unverified claim from a single unnamed insider speaking to a tabloid publication, is that a segment of Hamilton’s fanbase has begun pointing to his rumored relationship with Kardashian as a factor in his underperformance. The Kardashian Curse, a pop culture narrative that has followed the family for years and suggests that the men romantically linked to them tend to experience professional or personal decline, has re-entered the conversation with renewed energy.
How the rumored relationship began
Hamilton and Kardashian have not confirmed a romantic relationship. What is on record is a series of public sightings that began generating significant speculation in late January, when the two were reportedly seen together in the Cotswolds. The rumor cycle accelerated when they appeared in proximity at Super Bowl LX in February, an appearance that drew considerable attention and commentary across social media. More recently, the pair were reportedly spotted together at Coachella.
None of these sightings have been accompanied by confirmation from either party. The relationship remains, officially, a rumor. That has not stopped it from becoming one of the more discussed celebrity storylines of 2026.
What the anonymous source claims
According to the RadarOnline report, Kardashian made a deliberate choice not to attend the Tokyo race, with the source alleging she was concerned about being blamed if things did not go well. The implication is that she was already aware of the scrutiny surrounding the Kardashian Curse narrative and was attempting to stay out of the frame.
The source further alleged that despite her absence, the blame found her anyway, and that the online commentary has been reaching Hamilton in a way that is adding pressure rather than dissipating it. The insider suggested that Hamilton is aware the only path through the noise is a strong performance in the next race and that the stakes feel heightened as a result.
It is worth being direct about the sourcing here. This is one unnamed person speaking to RadarOnline, a publication with a well-documented history of speculative celebrity coverage. The claims about Hamilton’s internal state, his awareness of the commentary and the pressure he is allegedly feeling, are entirely unverified. They may reflect reality or they may reflect the narrative a single source chose to construct. There is no way to know from the outside.
The curse and its cultural life
The Kardashian Curse is not a verified phenomenon. It is a pattern that fans and commentators have constructed retroactively by identifying periods of difficulty experienced by athletes and entertainers who were publicly linked to members of the Kardashian family. The pattern is real in the sense that people believe it and repeat it. Its causal relationship to anyone’s actual performance is not supported by evidence.
What is real is that the narrative has staying power, and that it tends to resurface quickly whenever a male athlete linked to the family experiences a setback. Hamilton’s Tokyo result, uncharacteristic for a competitor of his caliber, was exactly the kind of moment that feeds the cycle regardless of what actually happened on the track.
Whether any of this is fair to Kardashian, or to Hamilton, is a separate question. The anonymous source acknowledged as much, describing the blame directed at her as unfair while noting that it appears to be happening regardless. That tension, between what is fair and what the internet decides, is arguably the most honest thing in the entire report.
