Travis Barker lifts the lid on ‘crazy’ proposal from Kourtney Kardashian

Travis Barker revealed a text message from Kourtney Kardashian that changed everything

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Published October 09, 2026
Travis Barker lifts the lid on ‘crazy’ proposal from Kourtney Kardashian

Travis Barker talked about a "crazy" text message which totally changed his relationship with Kourtney Kardashian.

The Blink-182 drummer was friends with the reality TV star for years before they became a couple and got married, and he's now revealed their bond turned romantic in 2021 when she sent him a text message making her feelings clear and it "scared" him.

Travis told The Times newspaper, "[She sent me] something crazy... I was like: 'What?' I had to look at my phone four times. I thought, there’s no way! I’d left any thoughts of us ever being anything more."

When asked to share the contents of the message, Travis went on to say, "OK, I had offered a mutual guy friend some dating advice. I was like, just have fun hooking up with girls. Think of it like a sport. Don’t try to get emotionally invested with everyone. Try to find your bearings.”

"And then Kourtney texted something like: 'Why don’t you teach me how to find my bearings?’ I’m like: 'Oh my gosh'. And I was scared because I thought, I can’t mess this up, I can’t mess this up.'"

The couple married in 2022 and welcomed a son, Rocky, in 2023.

Travis also confessed he felt "comfortable" being Kourtney's friend and didn't see her as a potential partner because they are so different.

“I mean, even when we first met, I was obviously tattooed from head to toe and in a band. I think that’s why I felt so comfortable being Kourtney’s friend because we were such opposites. I was like: 'Oh, I can think she’s cute or attractive or a great mom because we’re so different,’” he recalled.

It comes after Travis revealed he has undergone surgery after experiencing numbness in his hands since his show in September.

He posted a shot of Kourtney Kardashian smiling next to him as he lay in a hospital bed, dressed in a blue gown and surgical cap, wearing a wristband and a blood pressure monitor on his arm, with the caption, "I had surgery yesterday. My arm, hand and fingers have been numb since a show I played last month. I did a nerve test Monday after my show and turns out I needed a cubital tunnel release to fix the nerve. (sic)"

Travis Barker further informed his followers, "I wanted to get ahead of it and get it over with so that I can keep playing the way I play for a long long time. Should be good in a few weeks (sic)."

A cubital tunnel release is "used to treat cubital tunnel syndrome", which happens when patients have a "pinched nerve at their elbow (ulnar nerve) and typically complain of numbness in the small finger and sometimes the ring finger" according to OrthoInfo.

Sadaf Naushad
Sadaf Naushad is a Journalist and Neurochemistry master's graduate with over four years of experience. Leveraging her scientific background, she specialises in celebrity wellness, mental health, and the psychology of lifestyle trends, bridging the gap between science and pop culture to provide expert insight into global icons' well-being.
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