In a recent interview tied to the release of her new bookStrong Looks Better Naked, Khloé Kardashian opened up about her relationship with her currently reclusive younger brother, Rob Kardashian. "Rob is such a great guy," Khloé tells People. "He’s charming, charismatic, everything. That’s what’s so infuriating. I’m like ‘Where is your will to live life? Let’s be around people!’" Rob, who has reportedly been battling weight gain and depression issues, has remained mostly absent from the spotlight (and Keeping Up With the Kardashians) for "nearly 18 months."
Speaking candidly on Rob's search for a father figure, Khloé is quick to acknowledge the importance of Rob's relationships with both Caitlyn Jenner and Lamar Odom. "My dad died when Rob was 16," Khloé says regarding the passing of Robert Kardashian, who died of cancer in 2003. "Rob doesn’t have a father figure in his life. When [our stepdad] Bruce [Caitlyn Jenner] was around, he was great, but he was going through his own things that none of us understood at the time. Lamar was [Rob’s father figure]. Once Lamar Left, and it’s not Lamar’s fault at all, I think Rob didn’t know where to go."
Ultimately, however, Khloé remains positive that Rob can begin to make improvements. "It's sad, because he's only wasting his life more and more," she says. "But he has to figure it out for himself. And he has so many people who want to help him." Adding that she "can't win life" for her brother, she is quick to issue a vote of measured confidence: "I have to wait until [he's] ready to do it for himself."
