Jonathan Cheban aka Foodgod has spoken candidly about his friendship with Kim Kardashian amid speculation that the longtime friends had a falling out.
The besties haven’t been seen together publicly since December 2023 when they attended the grand opening of Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.
However, back in June, Jonathan, 51, attended Khloe Kardashian’s 40th birthday party, which was filmed for Hulu’s The Kardashians and just aired on March 6.
In recent months fans have questioned whether the food influencer and Kim, 44, are still friends since they haven’t been seen together as much as they have in the past.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Jonathan put the rumors to rest as he dished about his 15-year long friendship with his famous pal.
When asked who he’d want to set her up with, he responded, ‘Oh I don’t know her mind with all that. I just stick to our texts and what’s up.
Jonathan Cheban aka Foodgod has provided an update on his friendship with Kim Kardashian in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com at Planet Hollywood’s Grand Opening Party on March 11 in Times Square
Kim, 44, and Jonathan, 51, have been friends for 15 years, but in recent months, fans have speculated that they had a falling out
‘I never get involved with her with [dating] or business. We’re just straight through.’
He continued, ‘People are always like, “Oh, but I want to talk to Kim.” ‘I’m like, “I don’t know.”‘
‘I don’t want anything from her, I don’t need anything from her. We’ve been friends for 15 years and I don’t ever want to have any issues – connecting her with a guy or connecting her with business.
‘I don’t need anything except her friendship,’ he insisted.
Reflecting on his 15-year friendship, he shared the secret to their longevity is that he simply ‘doesn’t get involved’ with her personal life.
‘Well that’s why – because I don’t get involved with any kind of money stuff or guy stuff for her. It’s whatever we talk about and it’s 15 years of friendship,’ he said.
As for his pal Scott Disick, who has steered clear of the spotlight, and who shares three children with Kim’s sister Kourtney, Jonathan revealed, ‘I actually haven’t seen him for a while. I actually haven’t seen him for a long time.’
The entrepreneur spoke to DailyMail.com at the grand opening party of Planet Hollywood on March 11 in Times Square, which showcased the newly redesigned restaurant.
The alleged last time they were publicly seen together was in December 2023 when they were photographed attending the grand opening of Fontainebleau in Las Vegas
Foodgod posted a photo with his bestie in April 2023, captioning it, ‘Fun night @dailyfrontrow then OG dinner at Nobu La Cienega’
Kim and Jonathan hung out together at the KKW Beauty KKW x Winnie dinner at Saks Fifth Avenue in September 2019 in New York City
Just last week, his bestie placed a 60-foot bikini blow-up doll in the middle of Times Square as part of her latest SKIMS marketing campaign.
When asked for his reaction, Foodgod said, ‘I saw pictures of it… Wow!
‘I want to know when Kim sleeps because everything she does is so over the top and amazing and it’s really… I don’t know. It’s pretty sick.’
After the installation went viral, fans quickly roasted it online, with one writing that the Kim doll ‘looks embarrassed to be there.’
Others dubbed the giant balloon ‘terrifying’ and joked that onlookers should ‘run for their lives.’
Jonathan, however, was quick to defend the SKIMS founder over the backlash.
‘I don’t care. Nobody should care. Everyone gives backlash about [everything].
‘At this point, nothing matters. I get hate all day about things. Without hate, I’m bored out of my mind,’ he told DailyMail.com.
Foodgod told DailyMail.com about Kim’s blow-up doll in Times Square, ‘I want to know when Kim sleeps because everything she does is so over the top and amazing and… It’s pretty sick’
The SKIMS founder’s giant balloon received a lot of backlash after it was seen in the middle of Times Square on March 4
The close pals met in 2009 at a birthday party for socialite Brittny Gastineau at Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks, California where Jonathan, who was a publicist at the time, said that they ‘bonded right away.’
They were inseparable in the earlier years of their friendship and vacationed together often, as well as attending events together regularly.
Jonathan also used to make regular appearances on Keeping Up With the Kardashians in the show’s earlier years.
In 2021, Kim opened up on KUWTK about how glad she was to be with her bestie in her darkest of times, and even his – after he was robbed in New Jersey.
‘I’m really glad that Jonathan is here. It’s really good being with him. I don’t know if it’s the combination of being a mom and the robbery and listening to Jonathan, my anxiety starts setting in again. It’s just like my robbery situation,’ she told cameras, referring to her infamous Paris robbery from October 2016.
However, roughly three months ago, fans speculated that there was some sort of rift between Jonathan and Kim since they haven’t been spotted together in public in months.
He also raised eyebrows after fans noticed he was hanging out with Bethenny Frankel in October 2024 after the former housewives trashed Kim over her lavish holiday decorations the year prior.
Fans took to forums such as Reddit, and questioned, ‘Do we know [if] anything actually happened between them? Maybe they are just both busy? Or is there a known rift?’
Jonathan used to make regular appearances with Kim on Keeping Up With the Kardashians
Foodgod was seen in the March 6 episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians when he attended Khloe’s Dollywood-inspired 40th birthday party in June 2024
Jonathan dished to DailyMail.com about his 15-year friendship with Kim: ‘I don’t get involved with any kind of money stuff or guy stuff for her. It’s whatever we talk about’
One person suggested, ‘I think he had his moment in time when he was with her but she most likely outgrew him both professionally and personally is my guess.’
Another user said, ‘I’m curious also, he was literally obsessed with Kim.’
An article published on Hola! included fan speculation that Kim’s trust might have been broken after rumors that he ‘leaked private information.’
‘My friends and I have a conspiracy theory that he was always the leak. And they finally cut ties,’ one commenter claimed, as mentioned in the article.
Another alleged, ‘He leaked everything!!! That’s why we haven’t heard anything on the Kardashians recently.’
Kim has not publicly commented on the status of her friendship with Jonathan.
Meanwhile, apart from keeping in touch with Kim over text and making an appearance on The Kardashians, Foodgod has been busy flying around the world to get food content for his social media.
The influencer was in Milan, Italy at Philipp Plein’s The Plein Hotel where he tasted the $1,500 Dom Perignon pizza and before that, he was in Dubai for a new beach club opening called Sirene by Gaia.
‘I’m very picky,’ he said, referring to places he visits.
‘They have to have special, over-the-top things. I don’t do just regular restaurants.’
When asked how he maintains his fit figure, he told DailyMail.com, ‘I started going to the gym a little bit but I’m not a big gym rat.’
Instead of getting on the Ozempic band wagon, he said he would prefer medication that does the opposite – builds muscles.
‘I wish there was an Ozempic for muscles. I guess that’ll be steroids, I don’t know. But it’s not fair. Now everyone is so skinny,’ he joked, while adding that he thanks his metabolism for being ‘really good’ and not storing fat.
Jonathan attended the grand opening of the new Planet Hollywood NYC hosted by Robert Earl, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, 50 Cent and Boy George on March 11
The flood influencer posed for photos with the VIP guests, including Selling The City star Eleonora Srugo (pictured)
Right now, his New York City go-to’s are Polo Bar, The Corner Store, Chez Margaux and Zero Bond.
The star-studded affair at Planet Hollywood was hosted by the food chain’s CEO Robert Earl, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, 50 Cent and Boy George, who played a DJ set for the VIP guests.
The evening included appearances by Pete Davidson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his son Patrick Schwarzenegger, Whoopi Goldberg, Liev Schreiber and a bunch of Real Housewives of New York City and New Jersey.
Guests enjoyed cocktails from 50 Cent’s Le Chemin Du Roi and Branson Cognac as they got an exclusive first look at the reimagined modernized venue that has 360-degree state-of-the-art TV screens and three floors.
Leave a Reply