Travis Barker Criticized for ‘Controlling’ Kourtney Kardashian’s 5K Run

Travis Barker is facing backlash after fans accused him of being ‘controlling’ toward wife Kourtney Kardashian during a recent episode of The Kardashians.

In one scene, the Blink-182 drummer, 49, insisted on holding his wife’s hand as they ran side by side, despite her repeatedly saying she was ‘not prepared’ and was still breastfeeding their baby son, Rocky.

Before joining him at the starting line, Kardashian reminded Barker that she had only been running in ‘one or two-minute intervals.’ 

But once the race began, she quickly protests, saying: ‘Babe, are you kidding? I’m not running crazy.’

Despite her pleas, Barker maintained his grip and kept a steady pace.

While reflecting on the experience in her confessional, Kardashian says: ‘Travis [took] my hand and will not let go… he just does not let go, so I have to keep up with his pace.’

At several points, the reality star says she feels like she might ‘pass out’ or ‘throw up,’ but he never slows down. 

At a water station, she tells him: ‘If you let me drink this, I’ll keeping running with you.’

After the race, however, she thanks him for motivating her and gives him a kiss. 

Still, the physical toll on her is clear as she complains of nausea and says her breasts were tingling and itching.

The moment has sparked fierce debate online, with fans divided over whether Barker’s behavior was loving encouragement or a worrying sign of control.

One clip of the run has racked up more than 1.1 million views on TikTok, with many commenting to slam the scene.

‘I’m a runner and this really bothers me. She said she didn’t feel up to doing it. That should’ve been the end of the discussion,’ one user wrote.

‘Forcing someone untrained to keep up with his pace (when he’s much taller) is actually so mean,’ another fumed.

Others echoed similar sentiments, calling the scene ‘crazy,’ ‘a red flag,’ and ‘not sweet – this is him refusing to listen to her.’

‘He always came off as controlling,’ a third remarked. 

Others accused him of acting ‘possessive’ and like a ‘bully.’ 

Several commenters also questioned the safety of pushing a postpartum woman to run 30 minutes straight.

‘Thirty minutes of running for a non-runner that just had a baby and also doesn’t want to is crazy,’ one said.

‘He could have hurt her,’ one concerned fan commented. 

Some leapt to Barker’s defense as they insisted they ‘saw nothing wrong with it’ and found him to be encouraging. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Barker and Kardashian’s respective representatives for comment, but have not heard back, at this time. 

Licensed sexologist and relationship therapist Sofie Roos told The Daily Mail the controversy stems from a clash between affection and autonomy.

‘What stands out is the relationship between love intent in combination with lack of responsiveness, because you’re normally very responsive and listening to the one you love’s needs and boundaries,’ Roos explained.

‘That Travis holds her hand through the whole run can be interpreted as an act of intimacy, but when the partner so clearly expresses discomfort, and he still keeps on, that can also be read as that he doesn’t respect her boundaries. Therefore, in situations like these, it’s about the balance between support and self-determination.’

When asked whether the gesture was loving or controlling, Roos said: ‘It all depends on the intention. If he did it out of care, and that they both experienced it as something positive, which it seems like also Kourtney did in the end’

She said it seemed a bit problematic when ‘Travis didn’t listen to her in the moment, and thought he knew better.’ 

‘In my opinion makes it turn into a controlling behavior, because love should be felt as something safe also in the moment, and not as something pressing,’ she said.

Roos also noted that celebrity couples often blur the line between private and performative behavior.

‘When it comes to public relationships, dynamic is often erased for all of us viewing the situation from outside, but also what really happened can be confusing for the couple as their “private them” and “their public them” melt together. This can lead to public couples melting together and becoming one cute pair, and not individuals, which sometimes can appear cute, but that also can hide an imbalance where one is actually in control.’

‘In their case, it seems like Travis’ intensity and initiative is what gets the last say, while Kourtney’s needs get in the backseat.’

Roos said the scene hit a nerve because it mirrors real-life struggles many couples face,  particularly when one partner is recovering physically and emotionally from childbirth.

‘After giving birth, the body is extra sensitive, both physically and mentally. Hormones, lack of sleep and being in the phase of physical recovery makes small things feel very overwhelming,’ she said.

‘If a partner in that phase isn’t responsive and listens to their partner, it very easily comes off as them ignoring their partner’s needs in a very bad way. But for that to happen, Travis should have said, ‘We can walk the last bit and run more if you feel like it,’ instead of pushing on.’

According to Roos, viewers saw something deeper than a playful moment between newlyweds.

‘The strong reaction comes from so many people seeing themselves in this situation, where a partner does something that on the surface looks to be an act of love, but that instead comes off as controlling,’ she explained.

‘People also react extra strongly to the fact that Kourtney just had a pregnancy, which makes people ask how well men actually listen to women’s needs and bodily integrity as well as if the modern balance in relationships really is as equal as we want to think it is.’