AP Photo/Jeff Bottari; Ser Baffo/Getty ImagesIt was a secret romance that "took everyone by surprise." Now, just two weeks since Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna became a public pair, we're piecing together the milestones that have shaped one of the most surprising couples to emerge in 2016.
Reclusive for years, Kardashian had purposely stayed out of the glare of his last name's spotlight while battling his escalating weight gain. Then, as the winter holidays sprung, he was hospitalized and subsequently diagnosed with diabetes. It was a "wake-up call" for the reality star and the only concrete news the public had learned of him in months.
He retreated to the security of his home and remained increasingly private until late January when his tattooed arm popped up in an unexpected place—Chyna's Instagram selfie. It marked "the beginning"—as the shot was captioned—of their burgeoning romance, one that would immediately come under Kardashian fire.
To start, his famous family knew Chyna in a far different capacity. She had once been engaged to Tyga, Kylie Jenner's current on-and-off boyfriend. While they later split up, Chyna and Tyga also have a child together, 3-year-old son King Cairo Stevenson. It was her close proximity to Rob and his family that sparked their future flames.
"Blac Chyna was friendly with Rob when she was good friends with the Kardashians," an insider shared. "Rob always thought she was pretty hot."
While Tyga remains neutral about his ex's new romance—he told paparazzi that "everybody deserves to be happy"—Kylie, on the other hand, is purposely paying little mind to Chyna's new connection.
"Kylie doesn't want to give her the attention she so obviously wants," an insider revealed to E! News. "Ky is ignoring her antics."
As for his four other sisters, they "are livid about their relationship and not supportive of it at all," a source added. Despite her ties to Kylie's beau, Chyna hasn't exactly made it easy for Rob's family to approve of her.
Days after the news of their budding relationship broke, she was arrested at a Texas airport for public intoxication and possession of ecstasy pills.
For the first major test of their bond, Kardashian went the distance—nearly 3,000 miles. Rob drove from California to Austin to pick up his lady and drive her home, traveling for an estimated 21 hours for just one way there.
It's clear from his bold actions that Rob is crazy about his new lady. "She makes him feel really good and sexy," a source revealed. "She gives him a lot of sexual attention."
In return, Chyna has been a major force behind Rob's recommitment to health and fitness. While he's been pumping iron in the gym, Chyna keeps him company, cheers him on and documents his progress on social media. When online critics bully him, she rushes to his defense.
"She wants the family to see that she is a good fit for Rob and she cares about him," a source revealed to E! News. "She is aware her getting arrested was not the best thing, but s--t happens. If they can't seem to accept her then so be it!"