It was the relationship that essentially reset the narrative for the eldest Kardashian sister. Before the era of Travis Barker, rock concerts, and matching leather jackets, there was a different vibe entirely. Think South of France, high-fashion runways, and a much quieter, more intense kind of romance.
Younes Bendjima and Kourtney Kardashian didn't just date; they created a bridge between her decade-long saga with Scott Disick and the lifestyle she leads now. But looking back from 2026, the details of their three-year, on-again-off-again whirlwind feel almost like a fever dream. It started in a nightclub in Paris and ended with leaked DMs that effectively burned every bridge left standing.
The Night in Paris That Changed Everything
Most people assume they met through some high-end modeling agency or a mutual friend at a Calabasas brunch. Nope. They met at a bar during Paris Fashion Week in October 2016.
Kourtney was there with her sisters. Younes, an Algerian-born model and former boxer, was just... there. He was friends with their friends. Kourtney later admitted on Keeping Up with the Kardashians that she was actually a bit buzzed and confronted him for not saying hello to her group.
"Why do you hate us?" she asked.
His response was a classic "cool guy" move. He grabbed her hand and told her it was 5:00 a.m. and they were leaving. Talk about a movie moment.
But the night turned dark quickly. This was the same night Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in her Parisian hotel. Younes didn't bail. He stayed. He spoke fluent French and acted as a translator between the family and the police for the rest of the night. That kind of bonding in a crisis creates a foundation that’s hard to shake.
Why the Age Gap Actually Mattered
He was 23. She was 37.
Usually, when we talk about age gaps in Hollywood, people roll their eyes and move on. But with Younes, it was a focal point because he was so different from Scott Disick. Scott was the life of the party, the "Lord," the guy who couldn't stop. Younes was a boxer. He didn't drink. He didn't smoke. He was deeply religious and private.
For Kourtney, this was a massive shift. Suddenly, she was traveling to Egypt, Italy, and Mexico with a guy who wasn't falling out of clubs. It felt healthy. It felt mature.
But honesty matters here: the age gap eventually showed up in their worldviews. Younes had a very traditional, almost conservative streak that clashed with the Kardashian "brand."
The "Shady" Instagram Comment
If you want to know when the cracks started showing, look at July 2018. Kourtney posted a photo of herself in a thong bikini. Standard Kardashian behavior.
Younes commented: "That's what you need to show to get likes?"
The internet went nuclear. People called him controlling. Fans pointed out that he was a model who often posed shirtless, so the double standard was glaring. While he eventually deleted it, that moment pulled back the curtain. He wasn't comfortable with the level of public exposure Kourtney’s life required.
The Breakup(s) and the Mexico Photos
They officially split for the first time in August 2018. It wasn't a clean break. TMZ dropped photos of Younes in Mexico looking very cozy with a woman named Jordan Ozuna.
He tried to claim they were just friends, posting on his Instagram Story about "Hollywood bulls—" and how he couldn't even have fun with friends anymore. Kourtney’s sisters weren't having it. Kim and Khloé were all over the comments section with the "Alexa, play 'Heard It All Before'" energy.
They did eventually find their way back to each other in late 2019. He was her date to the Kardashian Christmas party. They were spotted at Disneyland with her kids. It looked like a permanent reunion until it just... wasn't. By the time 2020 rolled around, they had quietly dissolved for good.
The Scott Disick DM Leak: The Final Nail
You can’t talk about Younes Bendjima and Kourtney Kardashian without talking about the messiest DM in reality TV history.
In August 2021, Kourtney was already very public with Travis Barker. They were in Italy, doing what they do best—being incredibly affectionate on a boat. Scott Disick, apparently struggling with the PDA, reached out to the one person he thought would relate: Younes.
Scott sent Younes a photo of Kourtney and Travis with the message: "Yo is this chick ok!???? Broooo like what is this. In the middle of Italy."
Younes chose chaos.
Instead of being "bros" with Scott, he screenshotted the message and posted it to his Instagram Story for millions to see. He captioned it: "Keep the same energy you had about me publicly, privately."
It was a brilliant, petty, and definitive move. It signaled that Younes was done playing the Kardashian game. He didn't want to be part of the "ex-boyfriend club." He wanted out.
Where They Stand in 2026
Honestly? They don't.
Kourtney is firmly in her Barker era, focusing on her family and her brand, Lemme. Younes has largely stepped back from the Hollywood spotlight. He moved back to France to be closer to family and has focused on his own ventures, including investments in restaurants and the bakery La Tarte Tropézienne.
He’s still modeling, but he’s become a bit of a ghost in the Calabasas social scene. And that’s probably for the best.
Lessons from the Younes Era
- Crisis bonds are real but not permanent. Just because someone helps you through a trauma (like the Paris robbery) doesn't mean they are your life partner.
- Lifestyle alignment is non-negotiable. You can't be a private, traditional person and date the world's most famous reality star without some serious friction.
- The "Rebound" can be a bridge. Younes helped Kourtney realize she could be happy without Scott, which eventually paved the way for her to find Travis.
If you're looking to understand why Kourtney Kardashian changed her lifestyle so drastically in recent years, you have to look at the Younes years. It was her first real attempt at a "normal" relationship post-Scott, and the lessons she learned there about privacy and boundaries clearly shaped who she is today.
Keep an eye on Younes’ occasional cryptic Instagram posts if you like a bit of mystery, but don't expect a reunion tour. That ship hasn't just sailed; it's reached a different continent entirely.
Next steps for you: If you're curious about how this era compares to her current life, check out the timeline of Kourtney and Travis Barker’s early days to see the contrast in how she handles public vs. private boundaries now.
