Kim Kardashian’s former husband, Kris Humphries, has built a very different life since stepping away from professional basketball. Nearly 15 years after their brief and highly publicized marriage, the former NBA player has shifted his focus from the court to the restaurant business, becoming a franchise owner for the fast-growing Dave’s Hot Chicken brand in his home state of Minnesota.
After retiring from the NBA in 2017, Humphries intentionally moved away from the spotlight that surrounded both his basketball career and his relationship with Kardashian. Rather than pursuing television or entertainment opportunities, he has concentrated on entrepreneurship, saying he prefers living a quieter life while developing new business ventures behind the scenes.
The 41-year-old launched his first Dave’s Hot Chicken location in Minnesota in 2023 after signing an agreement to bring multiple restaurants to the state. The expansion marked the beginning of a new chapter for Humphries, who has invested heavily in growing the brand across the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
Humphries has explained that opening his first restaurant near Hopkins High School, where he attended as a teenager, was a meaningful decision. He recalled spending time in the neighborhood after school and wanted to bring a popular hot chicken restaurant to a community he knows well. He also believed the area lacked a destination specializing in Nashville-style hot chicken, making it an ideal place to launch the business.
His ambitions have continued to grow. By September of last year, Humphries had expanded his partnership and signed plans to open as many as 30 Dave’s Hot Chicken locations throughout the Twin Cities region. The move reflects his long-term commitment to the restaurant industry and his goal of establishing a strong presence in Minnesota’s fast-casual dining market.
Humphries’ social media presence has evolved alongside his career change. Instead of sharing workout routines and basketball-related content, his Instagram now highlights restaurant openings, team members, customer visits, promotional events, and behind-the-scenes moments from his growing franchise business.
Unlike many celebrity business owners who stay behind the scenes, Humphries frequently visits his restaurants and interacts with customers. He has been seen helping at store events, taking part in promotional hot chicken eating challenges, and supporting employees, demonstrating a hands-on approach to running his businesses.
Before becoming a restaurateur, Humphries spent 13 seasons in the NBA after being selected by the Utah Jazz in the 2004 NBA Draft. During his professional career, he also played for teams including the Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, and Atlanta Hawks before retiring in 2017.
Although he enjoyed a successful basketball career, Humphries remains widely recognized for his relationship with Kim Kardashian. The pair began dating in 2010, became engaged after a whirlwind romance, and married in an extravagant televised ceremony in August 2011 that attracted enormous media attention around the world.
The marriage quickly unraveled, with Kardashian filing for divorce just 72 days after the wedding. Their short-lived union became one of the most talked-about celebrity relationships of the decade and sparked widespread discussion about the pressures of fame, reality television, and high-profile marriages.
Years later, Kardashian revealed that she realized the marriage was unlikely to last during their honeymoon. Looking back, she admitted she felt pressure at the time because she had turned 30 and believed she needed to settle down and get married, a mindset she later recognized had influenced her decision.
In 2021, Kardashian acknowledged that she regretted how she handled the breakup and said she felt Humphries deserved an apology. She explained that she had tried to reach out to him, but he never responded to her calls, leaving the two without the opportunity to have a private conversation about their past.
Since then, both have moved on with their lives. Kardashian went on to marry music superstar Kanye West in 2014, and the couple welcomed four children before divorcing in 2022. Before marrying Humphries, she was also married to music producer Damon Thomas from 2000 until 2004. Humphries, meanwhile, has largely stayed out of the celebrity spotlight, choosing instead to focus on business, community investment, and building a successful restaurant franchise empire in Minnesota.
