Given that “Bling Empire” on Netflix basically guarantees raw entertainment and drama at every turn, it’s obvious that the cast’s interpersonal scandals keep us coming back for more. That includes the complicated relationship between French-Vietnamese Kim Lee, who was born and raised in Orange County, and her co-star Kevin Taejin Kreider, who was born and raised in Philadelphia and was adopted by a Korean family. Now, if you want to learn more about this couple, specifically in regards to their background, how they differ from each other, as well as their current standing in general, we have all the relevant information you need for your perusal.
Kim Lee and Kevin Kreider’s Bling Empire Journey
If we’re being completely honest, we have to admit that Kim and Kevin didn’t get off to a good, even civil, start in their relationship. This was not only because of the huge differences in their respective upbringings, but also because of the way they have always treated themselves. Believing she was a “spoiled brat” who djed on a whim with her family’s money, the personal trainer-turned-model found her company difficult at first. In fact, he couldn’t even bear to be in her presence. Things only got worse when they got into a heated argument about their behavior at their co-star Anna Shay’s party, that is, until they finally tried to open up to each other on a deeper level. From there it continued downhill.
Still, the moment Kevin decided to help Kim find her estranged birth father because he could fully understand the feelings surrounding the blood relationship was the moment that marked the real turning point in their bond. Because of that, his subsequent acts of selflessness gave way to some poignant moments and development of undeniable chemistry, both of which didn’t surface until the beginning of the show’s second season. After finding out she’d been offered a residency at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, she surprised him with a kiss on the cheek. He took this as a sign that he should pursue the matter further and then asked her out.
It took Kim some convincing before she finally agreed to take that next step, but on the day in question she changed her mind and didn’t show up for her appointment with Kevin without even receiving a polite phone call or text. However, he’s not the type to give up easily, so he showed her his feelings in order to spend some time together. This resulted in a short trip over the weekend, during which neither expectations nor fears arose. Although Kane’s intervention over his loyalty and Kim’s own concerns about trust eventually came into the picture, the couple appeared blissfully happy upon their return; Despite this, a lie detector test later revealed that she didn’t even want to be with him.
Kevin’s anger was understandable, and as a result, after they broke up, he deliberately kept his distance from her, despite their prior commitment to remain close friends. He had gradually come to the conclusion that he and Kim were romantically incompatible; nonetheless, he was aware that getting too close to Kim too quickly wouldn’t help either of them, and he was still a bit annoyed. That’s why it took a weekend trip to Malibu with Kane and Kelly Mi Li, combined with a Reiki session with Kim’s healer Janice, so they could face the reality of their situation and reconnect with each other as true friends.
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Are Kim Lee and Kevin Kreider still friends?
Things between Kim and Kevin honestly seemed to be going very well over time, especially considering the latter received a favor from the former in the form of Kim’s constant support in his quest to find his birth family. Despite this, he decided to end the relationship by entering into a dating relationship with Reiki healer Janice, which led to a further shift in the dynamic between the two. She despised the fact that he chose someone to work with to improve her overall health. Kevin didn’t initially understand the issue because they were already done for good, but when he understood that he risked not only losing Kim as a friend, but also impeding her progress, he decided to end his relationship with Janice and others opportunities to pursue.
During the second season of Bling Empire, Kevin and Kim tried to be romantic
In the first season, Kevin had feelings for Kelly Mi Li, but she eventually confessed that she only considered him a friend. The two became close because he is an adopted child after learning of Kim’s lost relationship with her birth father.
By the end of season two, they had developed a closer relationship and he was curious if there was anything romantic between the two. As a result, he made arrangements for a one-on-one date with her, but she never showed up and ignored his calls. When they were reunited, she explained that she had her doubts as to whether or not he was really interested in dating.
He endeavored to demonstrate this by taking her on a late-night rendezvous, which apparently was successful. On the other hand, when they had gone home, Kane angered Kim by telling her about a previous encounter Kevin had.
It threw off the trajectory of their developing friendship, irritating Kevin who challenged his friend, eventually leading to only a temporary conflict. Kevin undertook a polygraph exam to demonstrate his sincerity to Kim. Although he was successful, she wasn’t and this revealed the fact that she wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship with him.
In a previous post, Kevin discussed the decision he made to open up about his sobriety
In season two, which began when he was 30, Kevin spoke publicly about his sobriety for the first time. He revealed in a confessional that he didn’t like how he began to rely on alcohol to shape his personality, nor did he like the person he became while under the influence of alcohol.
As a result, the model enrolled in a 12-step program and now has daily sessions with a sober coach. Kevin was keen to share his sober journey with Kim because she’s a professional DJ. She acknowledged it, praised his choice and supported him throughout the process.
In an interview that was released concurrently with the reality series, Kevin discussed in more detail his decision to be more open about his sobriety in the show’s second season. He made the observation that while some people would rather not discuss it, he sees it as “freedom.”
The model believes speaking the path openly is “more liberating” as he’s learned that “you’re only as sick as your condition.” This is a statement he heard in recovery. Kevin revealed he previously chose not to talk about it either, but explained that he wanted to be clean about it in order to “destigmatize” sobriety and mental health as topics of conversation.
ARE KIM LEE AND KEVIN KREIDER DATING NOW?
Not only do they not live together, their homes are on completely different sides of the United States. Kevin announced the news of moving to New York City (as did our friend Dorothy Wang) in an interview with Today (opens in a new tab). He said, “Right now I’m in New York and Kim is in Los Angeles.”
He added: “We all needed some space and privacy. We were torn between laughing and crying, and I think the audience will experience the same inner conflict.”
Kim and Kevin still seem to play an important role in each other’s lives, as evidenced by the fact that they’re regularly featured on each other’s Instagram feeds, although the romantic phase of their journey appears to be over (if it even has even started). Who knows if we’ll ever see them give the romance another chance, but at this point it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen between them. Kick off Bling Empire Season 3 for even more dating turmoil…
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